The Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine has published an appeal to the UOC-MP and Ukrainians regarding accusations by the russian church that the OCU and Tomos caused the russian invasion.
This is stated in the appeal published on the website of the OCU.
"... MP hierarchs in Ukraine focused on accusations against the OCU, calling its very existence and its Tomos on autocephaly "the cause of the russian invasion. "Didn't you, MP hierarchs in Ukraine, notice that the war started long before the Unification Council occurred in St. Sophia Cathedral and OCU received the Tomos? Don't you understand until now that the reason for Putin's order to fight against our people is the very existence of independent Ukraine, its statehood and sovereignty, its successful democratic development, freedom-loving Ukrainians?" - says the appeal.
The Holy Synod of the OCU is sure that "this dominant fascist ideology in russia, one of the main creators, inspirers, and propagandists of which is the head of the Moscow Patriarchate Kirill Hundiaev, was and remains the basis for justifying russia's war against Ukraine, occupation of our land, murder of our citizens, the destruction of our cities and villages, attempts to destroy our statehood and the very identity of the Ukrainian people."
The Orthodox Church of Ukraine emphasized that the hierarchs of the MP did not condemn the russian aggression and the actions of their patriarch. Instead, they talk about the "humanitarian consequences of the war and the assistance they provide to the victims."
"Hierarchs of the MP in Ukraine! If it were not for your Church's previous conscious and persistent work in promoting the ideas of the "russian world," the war would not have come to our land. Putin awarded some of you, including Metropolitan Onufriy, for the work done for Moscow, are those who received the awards still proud of that? " - emphasized the OCU Synod.
The Synod recalled the facts of collaboration among UOC-MP priests and called on the ROC metropolitanate "to get rid of Moscow intoxication and lethargic relaxation, to see Church and society real life, their needs and aspirations."
The OCU appealed to the faithful and clergy, who remain under the jurisdiction of the russian Church, to join the OCU. "In response to numerous questions about the future, we can confirm that the communities joining the OCU will preserve their traditions and be free to choose the language of worship. Likewise, abbots and clergy who support the decisions of their communities will maintain their positions. The same applies to the hierarchs of MP in Ukraine when they want to fulfill their canonical duty and follow the church order on autocephaly defined in the Tomos," - reads the statement of the Synod.
The OCU emphasized that oaths and obligations to the Moscow Patriarchate "have no canonical force in Ukraine because the very existence of the ROC jurisdiction in our country is a canonical anomaly and violation of the terms of the Tomos on autocephaly."
The other day the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) accused the state authorities from back in time when Petro Poroshenko was the President of Ukraine and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine that their actions led to russia's military invasion of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the UOC-MP was banned in Kaharlyk of the Kyiv region, until the end of the war. The same decision was taken in Brovary. Konotop City Mayor has banned the UOC-MP in the city.