The OCU took over the organization of Filaret's burial, contrary to his will, set forth in his spiritual will

The press service of the OCU has released an official schedule of events to mark the funeral of the newly deposed head of the UOC-KP Filaret Denisenko. The main mourning ceremonies will take place between March 20 and 22, including a procession through the central squares of the capital and a burial in St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral.

According to the official website of the OCU, the farewell to the deceased will begin on Friday, March 20, at 20:00 in St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral in Kyiv. According to tradition, from that moment until Sunday morning, the Gospel will be read continuously over the coffin and funeral prayers will be said. On Saturday, March 21, funeral services are scheduled for the morning, after which access to the funeral will be open throughout the day.

The culmination of the mourning events will be on Sunday, March 22. At 08:30, a funeral service will begin at St. Michael’s Cathedral, led by the head of the OCU Epiphany Dumenko. Immediately afterwards, the funeral service will be performed.

At about 11:00, a funeral procession will start from St. Michael’s Monastery through St. Sophia Square to St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral. Upon arrival at St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral, a funeral service will be held, after which the late patriarch will be buried. The press service notes that the schedule is subject to clarification and urges to follow the updates on official resources.

Earlier, the head of the UOC-KP Filaret Denisenko made public his «spiritual testament.» In the document, timed to the 30th anniversary of his «patriarchal ministry,» he reaffirmed his rejection of the OCU, reiterated his call for the unification of all branches of Ukrainian Orthodoxy to create a church independent of Moscow and Constantinople, and also set out his instructions in case of his death, in particular, Filaret bequeathed that the funeral and burial rites be performed exclusively by the hierarchs of the UOC-KP in St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral in Kyiv, without the participation of representatives of the OCU.