Two metropolitans of the UOC are deprived of positions and are anathematized

The Synod of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC MP) at an extraordinary meeting on Monday removed from the posts of Metropolitans Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky Alexander (Drabinko) and Vinnitsa Simeon (Shostatsky) and betrayed them anathema for participating in the so-called unification cathedral to create a new church structure in Ukraine. This was announced on Monday by the managing manager of the UOC, Metropolitan Borispolsky and Brovarskaya Anthony.

"The Holy Synod was forced to make a decision relative to two of our bishops, who, despite the decision of the Council of Bishop and the Holy Synod of the UOC, nevertheless took part in the meeting on December 15. The Holy Synod released the diocese and banned the Holy Service to the Metropolitan Vinnitsa and the Barsky Simeon, and also prohibited the clergy and removed the Vikar bishop of the Kyiv Mitina Metropolitan Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky and Vishnevsky Alexander, ”the press service of the UOC quotes TASS.

The place of Metropolitan Alexandra (Draunkko) was taken by Archimandrite Dionysius (Pilipchuk). Archimandrite Andrei became the vicar bishop of the Dnipropetrovsk diocese, reports RBC-Ukraine .

Decisions were also made on the excommunication of priests and deacons, who also participated in the Unification Council.

In addition, the Synod appreciated the meeting, which took place on December 15. "Two non -canonical structures were combined at this cathedral - the so -called Ukrainian autocephalous Orthodox Church and the Kiev Patriarchate, that is, this unification of two schismatic currents.

Therefore, for the UOC, the decision of this meeting does not matter, - explained to the UOC. - As before, in Ukraine there is only one canonical church - this is the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is headed by the Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry, and this is recognized by all the local Orthodox churches. "

Later on Monday, it turned out that the Patriarchate of Constantinople has already adopted the former metropolitans of the UOC Simeon and Alexander, excommunicated from the Church for participating in the Unification Council on December 15.

"We came to the decision <...> to make you into the jurisdiction of our Holy Apostolic and Patriarchal Ecumenical throne, along with your immaculate clergy and pious people, exempting from all responsibility, or accusation, or any other transformation imposed on you by any church body," the letter published by the Ukrainian edition says "Left Coast" Together with the original photocopy on Greek. Similar text was posted on Facebook and Alexander Drabinko.

At the same time, letters from Bartholomew were signed on December 14, that is, the day before the Unification Council and three days before the UOC decided to deprive Simeon and Alexander San.

On December 15, in Kyiv, in the Cathedral of St. Sophia, under the auspices of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, and with the active participation of Ukrainian authorities, the so -called unification council took place. President Petro Poroshenko, despite the fact that in Ukraine the church is separated from the state, personally took part in this meeting.

According to its results, he announced the creation of a new church structure in the country - an autocephalous local Orthodox Church, the head of which was Metropolitan of Pereyaslav and Belotserkovsky Epiphanius (Dumenko), who previously served as a bishop of the Kyiv Patriarchate. The charter documents of the church organization include the name - "Orthodox Church of Ukraine".

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate rejected the invitation of Constantinople about participation in the cathedral and announced the illegitimacy of both this meeting itself and the structure created by him. Thus, only representatives of the Kyiv Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Church took part in the work of the cathedral. The only exception was the two bishops of the UOC. As the head of the information and educational department of the UOC, Archbishop Kliment, later said, since these two hierarchs “turned into a split”, the local churches will be notified that “they are no longer in the diptych of the canonical bishops of Ukraine.”

“This is a church without Putin , this is a church without Cyril, a church without prayer for Russian power and Russian troops, because Russian power and Russian troops kill Ukrainians. But this is a church with God,” Poroshenko said, announcing the creation of a Ukrainian local Autocephalous Church.

He assured that the state would not intervene in the activities of the church, into which they will not "invite power."

On December 17, in the residence of Metropolitan Onufry in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, an extraordinary synod began with the participation of Metropolitans of the Odessa and Israeli Agafangel, Simferopol and Crimean Lazarus, Khustsky and Vinogradovsky Mark, Donetsk and Mariupol Ilarion and other hierarchs.