On May 23, the Synod of the UOC (in unity with the Moscow Patriarchate) took place . It commemorated the anniversaries of the Kharkiv (1992) and Feofania councils. At the same time, the Synod ignored the fact that the Moscow Patriarchate subordinated the entire Berdiansk diocese previously operated by the UOC (MP).
It was never mentioned at the Synod that the Russian Orthodox Church recognized as null and void the decrees of the ruling bishop of the Berdiansk Diocese of the UOC (MP), Bishop Yefrem (Yarynka), who banned from the ministry all clerics who asked to be directly subordinated to the Moscow Patriarchate.
As stated in the decision of the Synod of the UOC (MP), published on their website, the Synod “considered celebrating on May 27, 2023, the 31st anniversary of the Kharkiv Bishops’ Council and the first anniversary of the Council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, held in the city of Kyiv. In this regard, on May 27, services will be held in the cathedrals of all dioceses of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.”
“Also, the Synod published the Address on the occasion of the indicated anniversaries, which will be delivered on May 28, on Sunday, during the Divine Liturgy in all churches and monasteries of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church,” the official announcement states.
The Synod appointed Antony (Fialko), the former metropolitan of the UOC (MP) in Khmelnytskyi, to the diocese of Makariv. Also, he will now be the Vicar of the Kyiv Metropolitanate.
It should be recalled that a few days ago, the Russian Orthodox Church declared that all the decrees of the ruling bishop of the Berdiansk Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (MP) Yefrem (Yarynka) “are null and void.”
This is stated on the newly created website called “Official website of the Berdiansk Diocese of the Moscow Patriarchate”.
The message was distributed by the Vicar of the Moscow Patriarchate, Bishop Sava (Tutunov), who accompanied it with the postscript “Ex officio (due to the position I hold – ed.) regarding the current situation in the Berdiansk Diocese, I am broadcasting the position of the head of the Diocese.”
“With the blessing of the Governor of the Berdiansk Diocese, His Eminence Bishop Luka, we inform you that by virtue of the decision adopted by the Holy Synod on May 16 regarding the order of administration of the Berdiansk Diocese, the decrees issued by His Eminence Yefrem on May 19 of this year, and the following ones, if any are issued, are to be considered null and void,” the message reads.
On May 17, it became known that Metropolitan Yefrem banned from ministry four clerics of the Berdiansk diocese, who announced the transition of the diocese to direct subordination to the Moscow Patriarchate.
“Priests of the Berdiansk Diocese, who spontaneously voiced statements of a provocative nature in the mass media, which do not correspond to the official position of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and sow confusion and temptation in the hearts of the flock, will be banned from religious services in accordance with the canons of the Orthodox Church,” the message read.
They also note that Metropolitan Yefrem of “Berdiansk and Primorsk” received the blessing of the head of the UOC (MP) Metropolitan Onufriy for “treatment abroad due to his health condition.”
“He said that during his treatment, the diocese headed by him will be managed by phone. A full assessment of the situation will be possible after Metropolitan Yefrem provides his detailed explanations after recovery,” the information and educational department of the UOC (MP) notes.
In early May, priests of the UOC (MP) in Berdiansk announced that their bishop Yefrem (Yarynka) had fled and appealed to the Russian Orthodox Church. “It has never happened before that a bishop left the diocese. It’s scary, of course. They took over the administration. They gathered a council and wrote a letter to Patriarch Kirill,” commented Archimandrite Dmytro Mykheshkin of Kamianka (Bilmak). In response to this, the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church “occupied” (resubordinated) the Berdiansk diocese of the UOC (in unity with the Moscow Patriarchate).
It should be noted that the UOC (MP) considers itself “independent in administration”. Now it turns out that in an “independent Church” can in one moment have its entire diocese, with priests, parishes and parishioners, be taken over because the bishop of the “independent” Church left the diocese.
By OCU priest Ivan Petrushchak
