Filaret Denisenko called for dialog and creation of a patriarchate

On August 21, 2024, the head of the UOC-KP, Filaret Denisenko, published an appeal in which he drew attention to the adopted law banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Denisenko believes that it would be much better to bring representatives of all branches of Ukrainian Orthodoxy to the negotiating table in order to create a new association in the status of a patriarchate. Denisenko’s statement was published on the official website of the UOC-KP.

“The initiative to ban the activities of Russian religious organizations on the territory of Ukraine is certainly positive. However, without a dialogue between the state, other Orthodox churches in Ukraine and the UOC (MP), attempts to force parishes to transfer to another denomination and unreasonable implementation of the law may negatively set the faithful and clergy against any unification steps and deepen the divisions within Ukrainian Orthodoxy. Therefore, I call on all Orthodox branches of the UOC (MP), the OCU, and the UOC-KP to engage in dialogue, hold a council, and unite into a single Ukrainian Orthodox Church. These steps will be a logical and effective prevention of the activities of Russian religious communities. Moreover, the issue of spiritual sovereignty will be fully resolved if the Patriarchate exists in Ukraine as the highest form of independence in Orthodoxy. On behalf of the UOC-Kyiv Patriarchate, as its Primate, I declare that we are ready and eager to engage in dialogue and unite in a single Church for the sake of establishing the Orthodox faith and consolidating the Ukrainian people,” – the head of the UOC-KP said in a statement.