Holy Synod notes courage of hierarchs who preserved canonical Orthodoxy in Ukraine

On May 27, at a solemn meeting of the Holy Synod to mark the 25th anniversary of the Kharkov Council of Bishops, the bishops stressed the historical significance, as well as timeliness and importance of the decisions taken there, reports the Information and Education Department of the UOC.

Members of the Holy Synod by their decision (Journal No. 9) noted the courage and persistence of the Most Reverend Bishops in preserving the conciliarity and canonicity of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

The Kharkov Council of Bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was held in 1992 on the territory of the Holy Intercession Monastery of Kharkov. Because of direct threats of the use of physical force against the bishops, the convocation of the Council of Bishops of the UOC in Kiev was impossible, the vanue for it was Kharkov – the chair of the oldest archpastor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Nikodim (Rusnak) of Kharkov and Bogodukhov. It was Metropolitan Nikodim who eventually chaired the work of the Kharkov Council.

The bishops worked for two days, on May 27-28, 1992. The main reason for the convocation of the Council was the non-canonical actions of Metropolitan Filaret (Denisenko), who violated the oath given before the Cross and the Gospel at the Bishops' Council in April of the same year not to violate the church peace and leave the post of Primate of the UOC.

According to the decision of the Kharkov Council, Metropolitan Filaret (Denisenko) was dismissed from the post of Primate of the UOC with a priesthood ban. Ukrainian bishops elected Metropolitan Vladimir (Sabodan) as new Beatitude Metropolitan of Kiev.