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Autocephalous in Ivano-Frankivsk Won’t Unite with UOC-KP Orthodox

26.10.2005, [01:06] // UAOC //

Ivano-Frankivsk – The Eparchial Council of the Eparchy of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC) in western Ukrainian Ivano-Frankivsk announced that they will not take part in the process of unification of the UAOC with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate (UOC-KP). The council released this statement on 20 October 2005.

The decision of the eparchial council members was made after they heard information from Metropolitan Andrii (Abramchuk) of Halych, head of the Ivano-Frankivsk Eparchy of the UAOC, and Mitred Archpriest Bohdan Cheliadyn regarding the joint meeting of the Hierarchical Council and Patriarchal Council of the UAOC of 11 October 2005. The Ivano-Frankivsk Eparchy of the UAOC supports the unification of Ukrainian Orthodoxy, but only with the blessing of Constantinople. The text of the decision made by the participants of the Ivano-Frankivsk Eparchial Council follows:

1. The Ivano-Frankivsk Eparchy approves of the process of unification of Ukrainian Orthodoxy, including the UOC-KP, but only with the blessing of the ecumenical patriarch [of Constantinople].
2. [The eparchy approves the decision] to prepare for the regular local council of the UAOC, which is to consider the question of the unification of Ukrainian Orthodoxy and to make alterations and addenda to the statutes of the UAOC.
3. [The eparchy approves the decision] to send delegates from the UAOC to the ecumenical patriarch and to ask for the blessing for the unification of Orthodoxy in Ukraine and for appointment of a representative to mediate in the unification process and to be based in Kyiv.
4. In view of the fact that our proposals on unification were rejected by the UOC-KP, we consider the Unification Council of 19 November of this year unprepared and premature. Therefore, the Ivano-Frankivsk Eparchy of UAOC will not participate in it.
5. [The eparchy approves the decision] to call the Orthodox of Ukraine to pray for the unification of Ukrainian Orthodoxy.

Source: press service of the Ivano-Frankivsk Eparchy of the UAOC