Kyiv, Constantinople, Moscow: An Ecclesial Triangle Metropolitan - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Kyiv, Constantinople, Moscow: An Ecclesial Triangle Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies Toronto, March 7, 2019 Thomas Bremer Münster University

The Churches in Ukraine (until the end of 2018) • Ukrainian Orthodox Church • Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Patriarchate of Kyiv • Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church • Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church • Roman Catholic Church • Protestant denominations • Judaism • Islam • Others • Altogether 57 religious communities, as of January 1, 2018 (according to the State Department for National and Religious Affairs) Prof. Dr. Thomas Bremer

UOC • Formerly part of the ROC (“exarchate”) • Since 1990: Self-Administration (but no autonomy) within the Russian Orthodox Church • Head (today: Metropolitan Onufry) is ex officio member in the Moscow Synod • Only Orthodox Church in Ukraine which was recognized by the other Orthodox Churches in the world Prof. Dr. Thomas Bremer

UOC – KP • Founded in 1992 as national Church of Ukraine • Head: “Patriarch” Filaret (*1929), formerly Exarch of the ROC • Not recognized by other Orthodox Churches • Supported by Ukrainian governments Prof. Dr. Thomas Bremer

UAOC • Roots in the 1920s • Established during WW II • Existed in exile (North America) • Since 1990 back in Ukraine • Not recognized by other Orthodox Churches Prof. Dr. Thomas Bremer

UGCC • Union of Brest 1595/96 → “Uniates” • Part of the Catholic Church, recognizes the Pope as Supreme Head • Strong in Galicia (formerly Habsburg lands) • Suppressed 1946 • Re-established 1989 Prof. Dr. Thomas Bremer

RCC • Mostly in the Western part of the country (which had belonged to Poland) • Originally strong Polish identity • Today more Ukranian, but still by many regarded as Polish • During Communist rule semi-legal existence • Hierarchy could be installed only in the early 1990s Prof. Dr. Thomas Bremer

Size (as of January 1, 2018) Name Parishes Monasteries Monks/ Ministers Printed Nuns (Foreigners) Periodicals UOC 12,348 211 4,721 10,424 (32) 137 UOC – KP 5,167 62 216 3,640 (2) 51 UAOC 1,167 12 15 693 (1) 12 UGCC 3,433 103 1,055 2,713 (23) 58 RCC 937 109 641 608 (326) 20 Prof. Dr. Thomas Bremer

Name Parishes Monasteries Monks/ Ministers Periodicals Nuns (Foreigners) Baptists 2,816 -- -- 3,147 (64) 14 Pentecostals 2,654 -- -- 3,303 (42) 45 Adventists 1,063 -- -- 981 (5) 16 Muslims, 928 -- -- 70 (8) 3 Crimea (2015) Muslims 254 -- -- 185 (1) 7 Mainland UA All 34,637 -- -- 31,952 345 Prof. Dr. Thomas Bremer

The Churches in Ukraine (until the end of 2018) • Ukrainian Orthodox Church • Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Patriarchate of Kyiv • Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church • Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church • Roman Catholic Church • Protestant denominations • Judaism • Islam • Others • Altogether 57 religious communities, as of January 1, 2018 (according to the State Department for National and Religious Affairs) Prof. Dr. Thomas Bremer

Patriarch Bartholomew, July 27, 2018: “Recognizing her high responsibility as the First Holy See, the Church of Constantinople has always taken initiatives before unlawful and irregular situations, which disrupt the smooth functioning of the Orthodox Church. In her own responsibility, she also took the initiative of restoring the unity of the Orthodox faithful in Ukraine with the ultimate goal of granting autocephaly to the Church of Ukraine.” (from a letter to President Poroshenko) Prof. Dr. Thomas Bremer

The events in 2018/9 •Aug 31 Meeting Bartholomew/Kirill Prof. Dr. Thomas Bremer

Metropolitan Ilarion, August 31: The most important thing is that there has been a fruitful exchange of opinions. And I will stress again that the nature of the talk from its beginning to end was very sincere and fraternal. We left Constantinople with very bright feelings and in a very good mood. Prof. Dr. Thomas Bremer

The events in 2018/9 •Aug 31 Meeting Bartholomew/Kirill •Sept 1-3 Synaxis Constantinople Prof. Dr. Thomas Bremer

The events in 2018/9 •Aug 31 Meeting Bartholomew/Kirill •Sept 1-3 Synaxis Constantinople •Sept 7 Nomination of Exarchs Prof. Dr. Thomas Bremer

The events in 2018/9 •Aug 31 Meeting Bartholomew/Kirill •Sept 1-3 Synaxis Constantinople •Sept 7 Nomination of Exarchs •Sept 11 Moscow: No Communion Among Clerics Prof. Dr. Thomas Bremer

The events in 2018/9 •Aug 31 Meeting Bartholomew/Kirill •Sept 1-3 Synaxis Constantinople •Sept 7 Nomination of Exarchs •Sept 11 Moscow: No Communion Among Clerics •Oct 11 Re-admission of Uncanonical Bishops Prof. Dr. Thomas Bremer

The events in 2018/9 •Aug 31 Meeting Bartholomew/Kirill •Sept 1-3 Synaxis Constantinople •Sept 7 Nomination of Exarchs •Sept 11 Moscow: No Communion Among Clerics •Oct 11 Re-admission of Uncanonical Bishops •Oct 14 Moscow: Interruption of Communion Prof. Dr. Thomas Bremer

Moscow Synod, October 14: It is impossible for all the clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church to concelebrate with the clergy of the Church of Constantinople and for the laity to participate in sacraments administered in its churches. Prof. Dr. Thomas Bremer

The events in 2018/9 •Aug 31 Meeting Bartholomew/Kirill •Sept 1-3 Synaxis Constantinople •Sept 7 Nomination of Exarchs •Sept 11 Moscow: No Communion Among Clerics •Oct 11 Re-admission of Uncanonical Bishops •Oct 14 Moscow: Interruption of Communion •Dec 15 „Unification Synod“ in Kyiv Prof. Dr. Thomas Bremer

The events in 2018/9 •Aug 31 Meeting Bartholomew/Kirill •Sept 1-3 Synaxis Constantinople •Sept 7 Nomination of Exarchs •Sept 11 Moscow: No Communion Among Clerics •Oct 11 Re-admission of Uncanonical Bishops •Oct 14 Moscow: Interruption of Communion •Dec 15 „Unification Synod“ in Kyiv •Jan 5 Signing of Tomos Prof. Dr. Thomas Bremer

The events in 2018/9 •Aug 31 Meeting Bartholomew/Kirill •Sept 1-3 Synaxis Constantinople •Sept 7 Nomination of Exarchs •Sept 11 Moscow: No Communion Among Clerics •Oct 11 Re-admission of Uncanonical Bishops •Oct 14 Moscow: Interruption of Communion •Dec 15 „Unification Synod“ in Kyiv •Jan 5 Signing of Tomos •Jan 6 Handing over the Tomos Prof. Dr. Thomas Bremer

The events in 2018/9 •Aug 31 Meeting Bartholomew/Kirill •Sept 1-3 Synaxis Constantinople •Sept 7 Nomination of Exarchs •Sept 11 Moscow: No Communion Among Clerics •Oct 11 Re-admission of Uncanonical Bishops •Oct 14 Moscow: Interruption of Communion •Dec 15 „Unification Synod“ in Kyiv •Jan 5 Signing of Tomos •Jan 6 Handing over the Tomos •Febr 3 Intronisation of Epifany Prof. Dr. Thomas Bremer

Three Additional Aspects •Number of parishes joining the new Church Prof. Dr. Thomas Bremer

Three Additional Aspects •Number of parishes joining the new Church •Support of the Ukrainian State Prof. Dr. Thomas Bremer

Three Additional Aspects •Number of parishes joining the new Church •Support of the Ukrainian State •Reaction of the other Orthodox Churches Prof. Dr. Thomas Bremer

The Orthodox Churches in canonical order Autocephalous Churches: Patriarchates of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem Patriarchate of Russia Patriarchates Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia Churches of Cyprus, Greece, Poland, Slovakia and Czech countries, Albania Autonomous Churches: Sinai, Finland, Japan, … Canonical Churches with disputed status: OCA, Estonia Uncanonical Churches: Macedonia, Montenegro, until 2018: Ukraine (KP, UAOC), … Prof. Dr. Thomas Bremer

Three Historical Aspects •Agreements which were not observed Prof. Dr. Thomas Bremer

Three Historical Aspects •Agreements which were not observed •The weight of a practice Prof. Dr. Thomas Bremer

Three Historical Aspects •Agreements which were not observed •The weight of a practice •The significance of the context Prof. Dr. Thomas Bremer

The Name •Tomos: “We … recommend that all Orthodox Churches throughout the world acknowledge and commemorate it by the name “Most Holy Church of Ukraine” («Ἁγιωτάτη Ἐκκλησία τῆς Οὐκρανίας») with its see in the historic city of Kyiv…” Prof. Dr. Thomas Bremer

The Name •Tomos: “We … recommend that all Orthodox Churches throughout the world acknowledge and commemorate it by the name “Most Holy Church of Ukraine” («Ἁγιωτάτη Ἐκκλησία τῆς Οὐκρανίας») with its see in the historic city of Kyiv…” •But also in the Tomos: Orthodox Church in Ukraine Prof. Dr. Thomas Bremer

The Name •Tomos: “We … recommend that all Orthodox Churches throughout the world acknowledge and commemorate it by the name “Most Holy Church of Ukraine” («Ἁγιωτάτη Ἐκκλησία τῆς Οὐκρανίας») with its see in the historic city of Kyiv…” •But also in the Tomos: Orthodox Church in Ukraine •Website: Єдина помісна Українська Православна Церква (The Only/Single/Unified Local Ukrainian Orthodox Church) Prof. Dr. Thomas Bremer