If they do not want to unite with the OCU, they can remain a non-canonical church, - MP Kniazhytskyi on the UOC

Mykola Kniazhytskyi, a member of the Ukrainian parliament from the European Solidarity party, said that since Ukraine already has a “local church,” the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has no right to declare autocephaly. The MP believes that the UOC can join the OCU or, after severing ties with the ROC, remain a non-canonical structure, as was the case with the so-called Kyiv Patriarchate. He said this in an interview with Gazeta.ua.

“If the UOC really ceases to be with the Moscow Patriarch, breaks all relations with Kirill, no one forbids them to serve. They can join the OCU or be an independent church. There must be a basis on which the church exists. The UOC does not have a tomos and does not have a decision that exists independently. It operates on the basis of the letter of Patriarch Alexy, that is, by the will of the Russian Church. And the UOC broke off all unity and communion with Bartholomew after the Russian Church did so. They can make such a decision, but they don’t want to. Ukraine already has an autocephalous church that has received a tomos. They can join the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. Metropolitan Epifaniy told Onufriy that he was ready for a dialogue. If they do not want to unite, they can remain a non-canonical church. The Kyiv Patriarchate has been non-canonical for almost 20 years. A religious non-governmental organization that does not violate the laws of the state has the right to exist,” — the MP said.

As reported, the OCU lobbyist in the media and a freelance expert of the State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience, religious scholar Andriy Smirnov, spoke about the possible way out of the situation with the ban on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The religious scholar believes that the UOC should first restore communion with the Patriarchate of Constantinople, and then join the OCU.