Ukraine’s Schism and Autocephaly

by fr. Vassilios Bakoyiannis

The division of Orthodoxy in Ukraine is one of the most complex ecclesiastical crises of the modern era, shaped by theology, history, and geopolitics, and its consequences are still unfolding today.Τhis subject could form the basis of an extensive book. However, for the well-intentioned reader, the word of God remains sufficient, which says: “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be wiser still” (Proverbs 9:9).

Well. Ukraine, as a state, was part of the Soviet Union until 1991. With the dissolution of the USSR, it became an independent nation; and as a nation, on the basis of the 34th Canon of the Holy Apostles, it raised the question of having an independent Church.

Until that time, the local Church of Ukraine was administered by the Church of Russia. Given that Ukraine is the second most populous Orthodox country, with great monasteries and numerous parishes, the question of autocephaly was widely considered both reasonable and necessary. Efforts were therefore made to obtain it.

In November 1991, a local council declared the Church in Ukraine autocephalous and submitted the decision to the Moscow Patriarchate. Instead of approving the request or continuing conciliar dialogue, Moscow called for the resignation of Metropolitan Filaret of Kyiv. Filaret refused, and a council of bishops convened in Kharkiv in May 1992 subsequently deposed him.

Following his removal from office, Filaret responded by establishing, in 1992 and with political backing, the breakaway body known as the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC–KP). This move further deepened the ecclesiastical division in Ukraine. The question is whether a different approach by Moscow might have prevented the schism in Ukraine. This is a matter open to thoughtful reflection and careful consideration.

At the same time, another ecclesiastical structure re-emerged: the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. Originally formed in 1921 in Kyiv, it sought to establish an independent Church in Ukraine but was later suppressed under the Soviet regime. After 1990, it reappeared. Its primate, Metropolitan Methodius, died in 2015, and Metropolitan Macarius (Maletich) succeeded him.

By 2018, the situation in Ukraine involved three main ecclesiastical bodies:The canonical Church, led by Metropolitan Onuphrius of Kyiv under the Moscow Patriarchate, and  two schismatic groups, led respectively by Filaret and Macarius.

On April 9, 2018, the President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, appealed to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to address the “Ukrainian ecclesiastical question.” Similar appeals were made by political authorities and by several hierarchs within Ukraine. Considering the new circumstances, the Ecumenical Patriarchate decided to proceed with the granting of autocephaly to Ukraine. This decision was presented as an ecclesiastical response rather than the result of external political pressure.

The Ecumenical Patriarchate subsequently annulled the validity of the Synodal Letter of 1686, by which the Patriarch of Moscow had been granted the right of pastoral oversight over Ukraine. As a result, Ukraine was regarded as returning to the canonical jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

A Unification Council was subsequently convened in order to heal the existing divisions and establish a single autocephalous Church in Ukraine. It was also proposed that the head of this newly unified Church would be Metropolitan Onuphrius, the primate of the canonical Church in Ukraine.

However, Metropolitan Onuphrius chose not to participate, and only a small number of bishops from his jurisdiction attended. In contrast, Filaret and Macarius took part in the process, having dissolved their previous ecclesiastical structures and joined the council as bishops.

The Council was held on December 15, 2018, at the Cathedral of Holy Wisdom (Hagia Sophia) in Kyiv, and elected Epiphanius as Metropolitan of Kyiv.

The Tomos of Autocephaly was signed on the eve of Theophany in 2019 in Constantinople by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Metropolitan Epiphanius. On the Feast of Theophany (January 6, 2019), it was formally and officially presented to the new primate during the Divine Liturgy.

One may reasonably ask: if the Moscow Patriarchate had supported a process of autocephaly in a timely and conciliatory manner, would the present divisions within the Church in Ukraine have been avoided? A sober reflection on this question remains open to the faithful and to Church historians alike.  

Next: What Is the Authority of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Orthodoxy?