In Piraeus, Canonical Violations in the Rehabilitation of Ukrainian Schismatics Were Discussed

During a theological conference in the Metropolis of Piraeus (Greece), Metropolitan Seraphim of Piraeus criticized the Constantinople Patriarchate’s decision to rehabilitate the leaders of the UOC-KP and UAOC — Filaret Denisenko and Macarius Maletych. He stated that these decisions were made in violation of the canons and without the mandatory repentance of the individuals involved. This was reported by the UOJ in Greece.

The hierarch reminded that Filaret was defrocked and anathematized by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1992 and 1997 respectively, and Constantinople officially supported these decisions at that time. Macarius led a structure of questionable origin, which was not recognized in the Orthodox world.

Metropolitan Seraphim emphasized that without sincere repentance, true return to church communion is impossible. No patriarch or synod has the authority to waive the requirement of repentance.

According to him, only an Ecumenical Council can review the decisions of the Moscow Patriarchate. Therefore, the restoration of Filaret’s and Macarius’s clerical status is invalid, as is the granting of autocephaly to the OCU, which is based on these decisions.

The hierarch called for an all-Orthodox reconsideration of the «Ukrainian issue» with adherence to canonical norms and Church traditions.

It is also worth noting that the head of the Odessa diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate, Nikon Hrabliuk, publicly addressed the clergy and laity of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, criticizing current trends in church life and calling for unity with the UOC-KP.