Ukrainian Orthodox Patriarch Visits Chicagoland

Patriarch Philaret (Denysenko), first hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate, has completed a pastoral visit to the exarchate of the Kiev Patriarchate in the United States. During his time in the USA the Ukrainian Orthodox patriarch, once a frontrunner in the USSR for election as head of the Russian Orthodox Church, visited Ukrainian Orthodox churches in the Chicago area. More here.

Patriarch Philaret Marks 16 Years as Kievan Patriarch

The independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church has marked the 16th anniversary of the enthronement of Philaret (Denysenko), who initially served as a metropolitan in the Russian Orthodox Church and later in the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, as head of the Kiev Patriarchate. The anniversary was marked with a celebratory Divine Liturgy and a thanksgiving in Kiev's Cathedral of St. Volodymyr. More (in Ukrainian) here.

Patriarch Philaret Leads Babyn Yar Memorial

Patriarch Philaret (Denysenko) of the independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church has led a memorial commemorating the victims of the Nazi mass executions at Babyn Yar. The memorial was organized at Babyn Yar for the 70th anniversary of the executions this past Wednesday. After the memorial Patriarch Philaret called for the establishment of a chapel on the site of a memorial to Ukrainian nationalists killed by the Nazis. More (in Ukrainian) here.

The Soviet and Holocaust memorials at Babyn Yar are truly haunting. The district was farmland at the time of the Nazis' massacres and it's said that after the war had ended Kiev's residents refused to buy produce from its fields out of respect for the tens of thousands murdered and buried there.

New Kiev Patriarchate Bishop Consecrated

Patriarch Philaret (Denysenko) of Kiev and six other hierarchs of the independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church have consecrated Abbot Afanasii (Yavorskyi) as Bishop of Konotop. The consecration took place this past weekend in Kiev's Cathedral of St. Volodymyr. Bishop Afanasii will serve as an auxiliary of the Kiev Patriarchate's Eparchy of Sumy. More (in Ukrainian) here.

Kiev Patriarchate Commemorates Anniversary of the Baptism of Rus'

In celebration of the anniversary of the Baptism of Rus' and in honor of the feast day of St. Volodymyr the head of the independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Philaret (Denysenko) of Kiev, celebrated the Divine Liturgy in Kiev's Cathedral of St. Volodymyr before leading a festal procession from the cathedral to the squares of Holy Wisdom Cathedral and St. Michael's Golden-domed Monastery in central Kiev. Patriarch Philaret concelebrated the services with other hierarchs and clergy of the Kiev Patriarchate. More (in Ukrainian) here.

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.

Patriarch Philaret Visits Manjava Monastery

Patriarch Philaret (Denysenko) has made a pastoral visit to the far west of Ukraine to participate in the 400th anniversary of the founding of the region's Maniava Monastery. The celebratory services were concelebrated by Patriarch Philaret and nine other hierarchs of the Kiev Patriarchate and well attended by local faithful and government officials. More (in Ukrainian) here.

360th Anniversary of Battle of Berestechko Commemorated in Volhynia

This past weekend on the Sunday of All the Saints of Ukraine Patriarch Philaret (Denysenko) of Kiev celebrated the festal Sunday Liturgy in the historic Monastery of St. George in Plyasheva.

St. George's was built on the site of the graves of the Cossack soldiers who fell during a battle in nearby Berestechko that was fought in 1651 between the forces of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Zaporozhian Cossack armies under Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky. After the Divine Liturgy the 360th anniversary of the Battle of Berestechko was commemorated by Patriarch Philaret with a memorial for the repose of the Cossack soldiers who were killed during its course.

Metropolitans Dymytry of L'viv and Yevsevy of Rivne; Archbishops Iov of Kremenets, Mikhail of Lutsk, and Ioan of Cherkasy; Bishops Epifany of Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyi, Onufry of Vinnytsia, Nestor of Ternopil', and Ilarion of Chernigov; and many other clergy of the Kiev Patriarchate concelebrated the services with Patriarch Philaret. More (in Ukrainian) here.

Kiev's Golden-Domed Monastery Celebrates Restoration Anniversary

This past Sunday one of the earliest and best known monasteries in Ukraine, St. Michael's Golden-domed Monastery in Kiev (so named because its catholicon was apparently the first in Rus' to have golden domes), celebrated the anniversary of its restoration after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Monastery, which was an architectural masterpiece and historical landmark, was demolished during the Soviet era and replaced by a sports complex, only to be restored to its pre-demolition state after Ukraine became independent in 1991.

This past weekend's celebrations were led by Patriarch Philaret (Denysenko) of the independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church, whose theological academy and seminary are housed on the remaining grounds of St. Michael's. The celebratory services were concelebrated by auxiliary Bishop Ahapit of Vyshhorod, superior of the Monastery, and nine other hierarchs of the Kiev Patriarchate. More (in Ukrainian) here.

On a personal note, although I'm not a supporter of the Kiev Patriarchate, St. Michael's was my favorite place to go when I lived in Kiev. Its catholicon is one of the most beautiful churches in the city and is a good representation of both its Byzantine beginnings and its later Ukrainian Baroque remodeling. For anyone visiting Kiev the Monastery stands alongside Holy Wisdom Cathedral, the Kiev Caves Lavra, and St. Volodymyr's Cathedral as a must visit for both historical and artistic reasons.

Patriarch Philaret, Archbishop Major Svyatoslav Discuss Areas of Inter-Church Cooperation

This past week Patriarch Philaret (Denysenko) of the independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Archbishop Major Metropolitan Svyatoslav (Shevchuk) of the Ukrainian Catholic Church met in Kiev to discuss possible areas of cooperation between the two churches, among them social issues, relations between the churches and the Ukrainian government, and education. More here.

Memorial Served for Taras Shevchenko in Kiev

Patriarch Filaret (Denysenko) of the independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church and his auxiliary, Bishop Ahapit of Vyshhorod, have served a memorial in Kiev's Church of the Nativity for the repose of the famous Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of his reburial in the church. In attendance were several Ukrainian politicians and the famous soccer player Andriy Shevchenko. More here.

Kiev Patriarchate Leader Speaks Out Against Ukrainian President

Patriarch Filaret (Denysenko) of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate has called Ukrainian President Viktor F. Yanukovych "a Russian governor." More here.

Church of Ukraine Urges Return of Lost Properties

The mainstream Ukrainian Orthodox Church has called for the Ukrainian government to pass legislation clearing the way for the return of church properties to their rightful owners. The spokesman for the Church of Ukraine specifically singled out the schismatic Kiev Patriarchate as a culprit in the illegal expropriation of church properties and funds in the 1990s when his organization enjoyed government support.

The cathedral of the Kiev Patriarchate, St. Volodymyr's in Kiev, is one of many properties illegally taken by the organization when it broke away from the Moscow Patriarchate following the decision of the Holy Synod not to elect Metropolitan Philaret (Denisenko) of Kiev as Patriarch of Moscow. It was built under the Russian Empire through the donations of peasants from throughout Rus' and was also the cathedra of the Church of Ukraine under the Soviet Yoke, so its alienation from the Church of Rus' is keenly felt in Kiev and elsewhere.

More here.

Kiev Patriarch Writes the Moscow Bishops' Council

Patriarch Philaret (Denisenko) of Kiev of the schismatic Ukrainian Orthodox Church has released an epistle to the Russian Orthodox hierarchs currently assembled in Moscow concerning the recent shift in the policy of the Moscow Patriarchate concerning the reception of former members of the Kiev Patriarchate. (Previously the Church of Rus' had chosen economy in receiving the Kiev Patriarchate's members, but as the schism has continued it has begun following canonical strictness, requiring the baptism of laity and the ordination of clergy received from the schism.)

Patriarch Philaret's letter to the Bishops' Council can be found here.

Kiev Patriarchate Claims Government Pressuring Clergy to Abandon Schism

Patriarch Philaret (Denisenko) of Kiev, first hierarch of the large of the schismatic Ukrainian Orthodox Churches, claims that the Moscow Patriarchate has been using its friendship with the newly installed Ukrainian government to have pressure exerted on Kiev Patriarchate priests to abandon their schism and return to the communion of the world Orthodox Churches. More here.

15th Anniversary of the Enthronement of Philaret (Denisenko) of Kiev

The schismatic Kiev Patriarchate is preparing to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the enthronement of its first hierarch, Patriarch Philaret (Denisenko) of Kiev and All the Ukraine, this Thursday. More here.

Patriarch Philaret was defrocked by the Russian Orthodox Church, within which he was a senior hierarch under the Soviet Yoke, for immorality and for leading part of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church into schism through union with the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, a World War II-era creation supported by Germany, at the behest of the Ukrainian government.