Metropolitan Feodosiy of Cherkasy called the issue of autocephaly of the UOC untimely

Metropolitan Feodosiy of Cherkasy and Kanev has expressed his position on the issue of autocephaly of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), calling it untimely and of no practical use, especially in the context of the ongoing military conflict.

In a podcast broadcast on the YouTube channel «DNA», the bishop emphasized that for him personally the issue of autocephaly is not a priority, and many share his opinion. According to him, there is no need to look for historical precedents to resolve an issue that seems «completely untimely, and maybe in principle will never be timely.»

Metropolitan Theodosius noted that in the current conditions of uncertainty, when «we do not know what will happen tomorrow in our country,» a serious discussion of the topic of autocephaly is reduced more to an intellectual debate. He expressed doubt that such a discussion has any practical application at the moment.

We would like to remind you that Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich), Metropolitan of Boryspil and Brovary, who is in charge of the affairs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, analyzed the history of autocephalous movements in Ukraine in the twentieth century, concluding that they were invariably connected with political shifts rather than with intra-church needs. According to the hierarch, the desire for autocephaly was seen primarily as an attribute of statehood rather than a means for salvation, which led to schisms and historical instability.