Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) has:
- 9049 communities
- 122 monasteries
- 3519 monks and nuns
- 7509 priests
- 7755 churches
- 840 churches are being built
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate is the former Ukrainian exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC). In January 1990 it received its new name. Later that year it received "self-governance," though it is still canonically subject to the Moscow Patriarchate. The local council of the UOC-MP requested to receive canonical autocephaly after Ukraine became independent in 1991. The request was not granted by the council of hierarchs of the ROC. As a result, the head of the UOC-MP, Metropolitan Filaret (Denysenko) was deprived of his status.
The great majority of bishops of the UOC-MP eventually repudiated their signatures in support of autocephaly. In May 1992 they elected, Volodymyr (Sabodan), Metropolitan of Rostov and Novocherkassiy, as new head of the Church. He is still its head, with the title of Metropolitan of Kyiv and all Ukraine.
For current relevant websites, see the RISU page Religion in Ukraine on the Internet
