The Russian Orthodox Church has announced “full independence and self-sufficiency” for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The hierarchs had assembled earlier for an emergency meeting, which had been called by the church council, according to Radio Liberty.
The Council announced the church’s restoration of chrismation (the preparation of oil for liturgy), implying ecclesiastical independence from Moscow and Constantinople. The Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which had earlier declared independence, was invited to begin negotiations in order to resolve the rift.
The Council underlined its opposition to the Moscow Patriarch’s position on the Ukrainian conflict. “Continue the dialogue process and the hunt for a strong and sensible word that could stop the killing,” he wrote to Ukrainian and Russian officials.
There are two Orthodox churches on Ukrainian soil that are only partially recognized by world Orthodoxy. The Patriarchate of Constantinople recognized the Orthodox Church of Ukraine’s independence in 2018, followed by three more of the 14 Orthodox churches generally recognized within the scope of church life. The remaining ten churches acknowledge the UOC as canonical, but only as part of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.
The document, which can be found on the UOC’s website, mentions the objective of forming refugee settlements in Western countries. Normally, Orthodox churches seek approval from the Patriarchate of Constantinople; however, the wording does not indicate that the UOC will do so.
If all of the UOC’s dioceses acknowledge the UOC’s independence, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church will most certainly become the world’s largest Orthodox Church, surpassing the ROC in terms of parishes.