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Negotiations Between UOC-KP and UOC-MP to Begin in October
24.09.2009

KYIV - On September 21, 2009, at a press conference, the head of the Information and Publishing Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP) Bishop Yevstratii (Zoria) said that in the first half of October a meeting will be held of the work teams of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate and the UOC-KP for the renewal of the dialogue on the possibility of unification.

According to the bishop, the negotiations between the representatives of the two work teams will begin as a "distance dialogue of the heads as it is usually done in all diplomatic relations."


http://www.interfax.com.ua/rus/main/20626

Seems like good news!

But what on earth is "distance dialogue of the heads"?

"Distance dialogue of the heads" means that the two working groups will conduct the process of discussions, at least until it reaches the stage that it is possible for the heads to meet one another in public and advance the work of unity.

Diplomacy? This is one of those difficulties which require delicate, sensitive, patient and diplomatic efforts at discerning a possible solution and reaching towards that solution.

Fr. Serge

Dialogue is not for the faint in heart. :-)

I feel very hopeful about this road to unity. The hope is probably fueled by the happy achievement of unity between my own Church (Russian Church Abroad) and the Patriarchate of Moscow two years ago.

But the hardest point to discuss will be the varying expectations of each Church. I have bolded the words of the Kiev Patriarchate bishop which show where the difficulty will lie in the negotiations.
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http://www.ukrinform.ua/eng/order/?id=169408



KYIV, September 11 /UKRINFORM/. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC KP) praises a decision of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to set up a working party to hold a dialogue between the two churches.

"This decision shows that the words of representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate about a desire to overcome schism in the Ukrainian Orthodoxy are gradually nearing to real doings, the Press Center of the Kyiv Patriarchate quotes head of the Information and Publishing Department of the Kyiv Patriarchate Bishop Vasylkivsky Evstratiy (Zorya).

The UOC KP Press Center suggests that the start of the dialogue could be very difficult, but it also could be fruitful. "Both we and UOC MP want that the Orthodox Church in Ukraine to unite. This goal - the unity of the church - serves a basis to launch the dialogue," he said. At the same time, the Bishop said that there are different approaches to achieve the goal. "We see this unity through unification into the local, i.e. autocephalous, church. And the UOC MP says the unity should be reached within the Moscow Patriarchate, and then autocephaly".

He also reported that the Kyiv Patriarchate will soon establish a similar working group.

As UKRINFORM reported, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is planning to start a dialogue with the UOC of Kyiv Patriarchate in order to resume unity in the Ukrainian Orthodoxy.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Holy Synod at the Pochayiv Lavra monastery on September 9, which was chaired by Metropolitan of Kyiv and all Ukraine Volodymyr (Sabodan).

The UOC press service said that a working group had been created and tasked to prepare for holding a dialogue with representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate, which is considered among Orthodox believers as noncanonical.

5 photos at: http://orthodox.org.ua/eng/node/899

KYIV. Meeting of the Working Group of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church with Representatives of the UOC-KP Begins


The first meeting of the working group of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church for preparation of the dialogue with representatives of the UOC-KP (set up by the decision of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of September 9, 2009) is being held at the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.

Before the beginning of the meeting the members of the group on the part of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church raised prayers for the beginning of all work at the home church of St Nicholas at the residence of the Primate of the UOC and received the blessing of His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr.

Taking part in the meeting on behalf of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church are: Archbishop Mytrofan of Bila Tserkva and Bohuslav, Administrator of the UOC; Archbishop Anthony of Boryspil, Rector of the Kyiv Theological Academy and Seminary, chairman of Educational Committee to the Holy Synod of the UOC, Chairman of the Theological Canonical Commission to the Holy Synod of the UOC; archimandrite Kirill Hovorun, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the UOC; archpriest Petro Zuev, chairman of the Department for Information and Public Relations of the Kyiv Diocese of the UOC, Volodymyr Bureha, assistant rector for academic research work. One member of the working group, archpriest Mykhailo Danylevych, co-worker of the Department for External Church Relations is absent accompanying the Icon of the Mother of God of Pochayiv in Canada.

Taking part in the meeting on behalf of the UOC-KP are: head of the working group Metropolitan Dmytriy Rudiuk, Bishop Yevstratiy Zorya, archimandrite Epiphany Dumenko, archpriests Petro Zinych and Oleg Malanyak; postgraduate of the Kyiv Orthodox Theological Academy Mykhailo Syvak.

Upon completion of the meeting the heads of the working groups are going to make official statements for the press.

Why is Archbishop Mytrofan of Bila Tserkva and Bohuslav described as "Administrator of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church"? Is Metropolitan Volodymyr of Kyiv and All Ukraine in poor health?

How much is involvod the Ecumenical Patriarch in the search for unity of the orthodox in Ukraine?

Some Ukrainians are threatening to go to Istanbul and picket the Ecumenical Patriarch if he gets involved!!

http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=6509

I suppose the ukrainians want a complete autocephalous Orthodox Church and not one under Moscow or Constantinople.Of course Moscow will continue its attempts for the so called "canonical territory".

No "so called about it." All the canonical Orthodox Churches agree publically on that.

I doubt the Romanian orthodox Church agrees.

Only in Bucovina and Moldova. Otherwise, they make no distinction between Russians and Ukrainians.

I would't be so sure.Ukraine must belong to the ukrainians.Russians have nothing to do with Ukraine.

That's rather authoritative. By what authority do you so state?

Btw, around 20% of the Ukrainian population is Russian. And Ukrainians and Russians view the situation the same way the Romanians and Moldovans views their situation. With all its complexity.