On October 23, important meetings of the Synods of the two Churches at once – the Orthodox Church of Constantinople and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (in unity with the Moscow Patriarchate) will be held, which may become a landmark for world Orthodoxy.
That’s according to the Sofia Brotherhood initiative’s press service.
As per the Ecumenical Patriarchate press service, the Synod gathered in a new composition and held a meeting with the newly appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha. It is expected that the hierarchs of Constantinople can provide support to the UOC, which is going through difficult times due to the indecision of its leadership. In particular, there are hopes for a reaction to the appeals of the faithful from the UOC for the provision of a stauropegium (beyond the OCU jurisdiction).
According to official information, the Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church will consider “issues of church life.” Among the urgent problems are the response to the clashes around the two temples and issues that amassed since the latest UOC Synod in April. An important aspect is the consideration of the collective appeals from the clergy regarding a complete break with the Russian Church.
Additional context is added by a recent research and practical conference at the Kyiv Theological Academy, where the use of the doctrine of “Russian world” to justify military aggression against Ukraine was discussed. According to the testimony of eyewitnesses, Metropolitan Onufriy reacted positively to theses criticizing that doctrine.
The results of both Synods are expected by this evening.
