Hierarch of the UOC pointed to the crisis of cathedral consciousness in world Orthodoxy

The hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, rector of the Kyiv Theological Seminary and Academy, Archbishop Sylvester (Stoychev) expressed serious concern about the current state of world Orthodoxy. According to him, the system of world Orthodoxy is undergoing a test of internal strength, facing a deep crisis of cathedral consciousness, which makes it difficult to resolve internal conflicts and threatens unity.

As Archbishop Silvester told the Serbian publication VREME, there are many conflicts within the family of local Orthodox Churches that require meaningful discussion and carefully considered solutions. Historically, such problems have always found their resolution at councils.

However, as the Archbishop noted, today «we are witnessing a profound crisis of the cathedral consciousness.» He expressed concern that sometimes it seems as if the Churches «no longer perceive themselves as One Church,» and each local Church seems self-sufficient. This makes it much more difficult to organize a truly synodical consideration of the problems that threaten the unity of Orthodoxy. Archbishop Silvester also emphasized that the lack of communication leads local Churches to self-isolation, which «should not be allowed.»

Vladyka recalled that at the Pan-Orthodox Council in Crete in 2016, the need to hold such councils regularly, for example, every five or seven years, was discussed. It was assumed that such a council process could prevent the Churches from diverging into isolated communities. Unfortunately, as Archbishop Sylvester stated, these important initiatives have not yet been realized.

Earlier, the hierarch of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, Archbishop Theodosius of Sebastia, announced the readiness of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem to provide a venue for a church-wide council dedicated to resolving the crisis surrounding the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the problems in world Orthodoxy. The hierarch stressed that the leaders of the churches should meet to overcome the schism and restore unity, while recognizing exclusively the canonical UOC headed by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry.