“Voluntary transition”: Filaret says UOC communities will join him freely

Head of the UOC KP Filaret

The transition of communities into the future church structure will be carried out voluntarily, as head of the UOC-KP Filaret stated in an interview to the press service of the Kiev "patriarchate".

Filaret believes that if dozens of parishes move to the Kyiv "patriarchate", thousands will be transferred after the arrival of the Tomos.

"Why is that? Because now for those identifying themselves with the UOC MP, our Church is "unrecognized, non-canonical," Filaret admitted. "And after receiving the Tomos, it will already be recognized and "canonical" to them. Therefore, if now they do not join it out of fear of being "non-canonical," in the end they will no longer be in fear."

Filaret promised there would be no violence after granting of the Tomos, whereas the property would be owned by the communities, as it is now.

"We categorically reject all accusations of opponents that the Tomos on autocephaly will cause confrontation or even bloodshed. On the contrary, it is only through the affirmation of the Single Local Orthodox Church in Ukraine that it is possible to overcome the split and achieve public peace," Filaret stressed.

According to the head of the UOC-KP, the Kiev-Pechersk and Pochaev Lavra will be Ukrainian, and no one is going to "grab" them.

“I do not know when – only God knows," declared Filaret. "Perhaps a few months after the Tomos has been granted, or, perhaps, several years from now." It doesn't make a difference to us because the truth is on our side and God will help it to come into its own peacefully and voluntarily, without any violence."

In his recent interview, Filaret said that after the recognition of the Single Local Church, the property of the UOC should become the property of the newly established church structure.

Archbishop Theodosy of Boyarka said that such statements delivered by Filaret "are absolutely contrary to the legal situation" and can result in a global confrontation on religious grounds.

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