Supported by the Ecumenical Patriarchate
On June 12-14 the Chancellery of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church has announced that the Mixed Commission to Study Ways of Orthodox Unity in Ukraine convened for the second time in the Fenar Quarter, residence of the Patriarch of Constantinople in Istanbul. The meeting was attended by hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kyiv Patriarchate), Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, and Metropolitan Constantine of the UOC in the United States. They were received by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the meeting ended in the signing of the Symphoniticon accords reading as follows:
“Having convened at the Ecumenical Patriarchate, we [the undersigned] representatives of two Ukrainian Orthodox Churches, to wit the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Kyiv Patriarchate [represented by] Metropolitan Andriy of Lviv and Sokal, Archbishop Danylo of Rivne and Ostroh, and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church [represented by] Metropolitan Mefodiy of Ternopil and Podillia, and Bishop Makary of Lviv, in the presence of Metropolitan Constantine of Irenopolis of America, after exchanging views and opinions, being aware of the need and necessity of our unity, so as to eventually achieve a single Local Ukrainian Orthodox Church, have agreed as follows:
“1. Both sides have declared that there are no ideological differences between them from the point of view of the Orthodox Faith.
“2. The hierarchs of both the UOC (KP) and UAOC shall meet in Kyiv to discuss the details and prospects of complete unity of both our Churches, this being the first step towards the unity of all the Orthodox adherents of Ukraine.
“3. A Joint Commission of both Churches, composed of Metropolitan Andriy of Lviv, Archbishop Danylo of Rivne, Bishop Dmytro of Pereyaslav-Khmelnytsky, Metropolitan Mefody of Ternopil, Metropolitan Andriy of Ivano- Frankivsk, and Bishop Makary of Lviv, shall be formed to deal with any such details as may arise from [or in conjunction with] the process of unification of both Churches, namely the UOC (KP) and UAOC.
“The first sitting of the commission shall take place before July 24, 2001. The Commission shall operate under the auspices of Archbishop Vsevolod of Skopelos (Ecumenical Patriarchate), who shall systematically file progress reports with the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
“Both sides hereby undertake to implement these resolutions.”
This is the second document signed by UOC (KP) and UAOC hierarchs, assisted by the Patriarch of Constantinople. And it is also true that Symphoniticon-2 is far more specific, having it in black and white that there are no dogmatic differences between the two churches, and providing for the setting up of a joint committee to deal with matters in dispute. Another hope-inspiring aspect is that US Metropolitan Constantine took part in the June talks, and the UAOC refers to him as its head. Most importantly, the Ukrainian ranking clergymen met with the Patriarch of Constantinople and once again there is hope that at least one wound in the body of Ukrainian Christianity will be healed.
