Kiev Patriarchate Holy Synod Meets, Calls for Jubilee Council

Meeting on the same day as the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church the Holy Synod of the independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church accepted Bishop Mikhail (Bondarchuk) of Poltava back into the jurisdiction of the Kiev Patriarchate from the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, electing him as Bishop of Dubno and auxiliary to Metropolitan Yevsevey (Polityla) of Rivne. The Holy Synod also elected Igumen Afanasiy (Jaworski) to the episcopacy to serve as an auxiliary in the Eparchy of Sumy.

Lastly, the Holy Synod decided to organize its own Jubilee Council this fall to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the proclamation of autocephaly by ex-Russian Orthodox patriarchal candidate Metropolitan Philaret (Denysenko) of Kiev and Patriarch Mystyslav of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. More (in Ukrainian) here.

All-Ukrainian Council to Review Church Life, Not Encourage 'Political Orthodoxy'

In an interview Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan) of Kiev has confirmed that the intention of the upcoming All-Ukrainian Council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is not to somehow change the Church's status, but to review its work over the two decades since the grant of autonomy and the 1992 All-Ukrainian Council in Kharkiv. More here.

All-Ukrainian Council Preparations Continue

The autonomous Ukrainian Orthodox Church is preparing for its first All-Ukrainian Council since the 1992 council that saw the election of Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan) as Metropolitan of Kiev and the confirmation of the Church of Ukraine's union with the Moscow Patriarchate.

The upcoming council, to be held this July, will be comprised of all the ruling and auxiliary hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, diocesan delegates (representing each eparchy's clergy, laity, and monastics), the rectors of Ukraine's theological academies and seminaries, and the chairmen of the various synodal institutions. The Council is expected to review the development of church life in Ukraine over the past 19 years. More (in Ukrainian) here.