Clergy of the OCU Are in Conflict Over "Primacy" in Poland

A public scandal has erupted between two representatives of the OCU in Poland, Arseniy Revtov and Sergiy Sirenko. The incident was triggered by mutual accusations of arrogance, hypocrisy, and attempts to single-handedly take control of the OCU’s structure in the country.

The conflict began with criticism directed at Arseniy Revtov by Sergiy Sirenko, who, during the debate, reminded Arseniy Revtov of his past service in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). Sirenko expressed doubt about the sincerity of Revtov’s defection, stating that “it is impossible to completely rid oneself of the Moscow Church.” In addition, he noted the strained relations between the Polish Orthodox Church and the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

In response, Arseniy Revtov published an open letter in which he accused his opponent of seeking to monopolize power and become “first among equals” without sufficient grounds for doing so. Revtov emphasized that such internal strife negatively affects the organization’s image and contradicts the official statements by the OCU leadership regarding its commitment to unity.

At this point, the conflict has moved into the legal arena: Revtov has demanded a public apology from Sirenko; otherwise, he intends to go to court to defend his honor and dignity. Revtov had previously made harsh statements directed at the clergy of the Polish Church, calling their structure “unnecessary for Ukrainians” because they do not recognize the canonical status of the OCU.

As a reminder, Sergei Sirenko, a cleric of the OCU in Warsaw, previously stated that the presence of his organization in Poland—presented as a “chaplaincy mission”— had been agreed upon with Patriarch Bartholomew. He also sharply criticized the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church (PAOC) for refusing to recognize the OCU and accused its clergy of pro-Russian sympathies, which is creating tension in relations between the two Orthodox jurisdictions. According to him, although the OCU’s Tomos does not provide for the establishment of parishes outside Ukraine, the situation has changed dramatically following Russia’s full-scale invasion.

In turn, the Primate of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church submitted a complaint to Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople regarding the OCU’s encroachment into the canonical territory of the PAOC. The protest concerns the OCU’s establishment of so-called “chaplaincy missions” in Poland, under the guise of which Ukrainian schismatics are opening full-fledged parishes.