OCU Synod criticizes Romanian Patriarchate's attempts to establish its jurisdiction in Ukraine

On November 7, 2024, a meeting of the Synod of the OCU was held in Kyiv. The organization criticized the attempts of the Romanian Patriarchate to create a parallel jurisdiction in Ukraine – the Romanian Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which, according to the Romanian Orthodox Church, should be joined by the parishes of the UOC in Bukovyna and Transcarpathia. This is reported by the official website of the OCU.

“After discussing the message of His Beatitude Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv and All Ukraine on the announcement on behalf of the Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church of the intention to form a structure subordinate to the Romanian Patriarchate in Ukraine, the Holy Synod, in the spirit of its previous decisions, reiterated that in accordance with the canonical procedure and under the conditions set forth in the Tomos of Autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, all Orthodox Church institutions within the internationally recognized, including Romania’s, state borders of Ukraine should operate within the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and in consultation with it. The creation of Orthodox church structures on the internationally recognized territory of Ukraine without the consent of the Primate and Synod of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine that do not recognize the canonical authority of the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine is a violation of the canonical order and contradicts the Tomos. It is also of secular and international importance, as it touches upon the issue of state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” – the Synod said in a statement.

The OCU reminded that in Romania, a separate association was created for Orthodox Ukrainians as part of the Romanian Patriarchate. In addition, when the Romanian Orthodox Church establishes its church institutions in the territories of other Local Churches, this necessarily happens by prior arrangements. In this regard, the OCU demands that the Romanian Patriarchate agree to the conditions set by the organization.

“The care of Orthodox Romanians living in the canonical territory of other Local Orthodox Churches is carried out by the Romanian Orthodox Church in accordance with the agreements reached with such Churches in this regard, and not by creating separate structures without consultation and agreement with the relevant Churches. Likewise, other Orthodox Churches take care of Orthodox believers who ethnically belong to them but live in Romania, not independently and not at their own discretion, but in accordance with the canonical order, agreements and arrangements reached with the Romanian Orthodox Church. Within the Romanian Orthodox Church, the Orthodox Ukrainian Vicariate, centered in Sigot, Maramures region (Vicariatul Ortodox Ucrainean din România in Romanian), exists for Orthodox religious communities, which are predominantly composed of ethnic Ukrainians. The vicariate reports directly to the Romanian Patriarch and is endowed with autonomy. The Orthodox Church of Ukraine, in order to meet the religious and national needs of Orthodox Romanians living in Ukraine, on the same basis as that established for Orthodox Ukrainians in Romania, wishes to continue working in cooperation with the Romanian Orthodox Church to develop the structure of the Orthodox Romanian Vicariate in Ukraine, the formation of which received the blessing of the Synod in 2019. in response to the wishes of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church and the Romanian Patriarchate was notified in writing at the same time,” – the statement reads.