Discussion in the UOC: Archbishop Sylvester responded to Metropolitan Luke's criticism

The rector of the Kyiv Theological Academy and Seminary (KDAiS) of the UOC, Archbishop Sylvester (Stoychev), has published a final statement in response to criticism from Metropolitan Luke of Zaporizhzhya and Melitopol. According to the hierarch in his official address, the polemic arose around the understanding of historical events in the life of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, as well as the interpretation of theological and canonical concepts.

In his response, Vladyka Sylvester emphasized that the discussion should remain within the framework of fraternal communion, and expressed bewilderment at the use of legal terms, such as «respondent», in ecclesiastical polemics. The main point of disagreement was the distinction between «prophetic gift» and «natural intuition.» The archbishop explained that the presence of intuition in Filaret (Denisenko) is not identical to the recognition of spiritual gifts, and urged not to mix these concepts, since intuition is based on experience and sensations, not on Divine revelation.

A significant part of the publication is devoted to the evaluation of the Councils of the UOC. Archbishop Sylvester challenged Metropolitan Luke’s opinion that the Council in Theophany (2022) was only a matter of «political arrangements». According to the Rector of the KDAIS, the Council in Theophany was a direct continuation of the path of the 1992 Kharkiv Council in achieving full canonical independence of the Church. To familiarize himself with his real position, Vladyka recommended to refer to the Academy’s publications: «A Concise Interpretative Dictionary of Canon Law» and the book «Ukrainian Orthodox Church: Milestones of History».

The archbishop also rejected accusations of indifference to the suffering of believers and the seizure of churches. He recalled that the Kyiv Theological Academy was itself deprived of its historical premises in 2023, and his position on violations of the rights of believers was clearly stated in an open letter to Patriarch Bartholomew dated April 11, 2023. At the end of the publication, Archbishop Sylvester, referring to the instruction of the Apostle Paul, declared the termination of this polemic, considering further repetition of arguments fruitless.

Earlier, Metropolitan Luke of Zaporizhzhia and Melitopol (UOC) sharply criticized Archbishop Sylvester, accusing him of «semantic equilibrium» and attempts to morally legitimize the church schism. The subject of the dispute was the evaluation of the personality of Filaret Denisenko; in Metropolitan Luke’s opinion, attempts to present the actions of the schism leader as the result of «intuition» substitute theological canons for the categories of political compromise.