September 14, 2018, at the Patriarchal and Synodal residence in the Danilov monastery in Moscow held an extraordinary session of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, reports patriarhiei.
The permanent members of the Holy Synod are: Metropolitan of Kiev and all Ukraine Onufry; the Metropolitan of Krutitsy and Kolomna Juvenal; the Metropolitan of Chisinau and all Moldova Vladimir; Metropolitan of Astana and Kazakhstan Alexander, the head of the Metropolitan district in the Republic of Kazakhstan; Metropolitan of Tashkent and Uzbekistan Vikenty, head of Central Asian Metropolitan district; Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga Varsonofy, Chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate; Metropolitan of Minsk and Zaslavl Pavel, Patriarchal Exarch of all Belarus; Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for external Church relations of the Moscow Patriarchate.
To participate in the winter session (September-February) invited: Metropolitan Zaporozhye and Melitopol Luke, Metropolitan of Barnaul and Altai Sergius; Bishop of Narva and Prigodskiy Lazarus; Bishop of Rybinsk and St. Benjamin; Bishop of Nakhodka and Transfiguration Nicholas.
Introductory remarks to the participants of the meeting asked his Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill.
“Today on the agenda of one question related to the implementation of the decision of the Patriarchate of Constantinople about the direction to Ukraine of the so-called exarchs. September 8, our Synod has made a statement in connection with the adoption of the Constantinople Synod decisions about the direction of these representatives, we now have reliable information that they came to Ukraine and started working” — said, opening the meeting, his Holiness Patriarch Kirill.
For health reasons the meeting could not attend his Beatitude Metropolitan of Kyiv and all Ukraine Onufry. There was organized a sharing session, during which Metropolitan Onufry told members of the Synod about the situation in connection with the appointment of Ukraine bishops of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.
“Indeed, both the so-called Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarch arrived in Ukraine, confirmed his Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry. — One appointed to lead the negotiation process with the party of the so-called Patriarch Filaret, the other with a side of “Metropolitan” Macarius, head of the “Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church.”
“We’ve never met and do not intend to meet, because they came here without our blessings. As representatives of the canonical Church in Ukraine, we have to communicate with them will not, well, the way things are going, we will follow”, — said, in particular, Metropolitan Onufry.
On the basis of the report of Metropolitan Onufriy the members of the Synod today will take decisions concerning this topic.
Welcoming his Beatitude, Patriarch Kirill expressed the hope that the hierarchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church will “continue the only right way to exercise their Ministry in accordance with the canons of the Orthodox Church.”
“What is happening now in connection with a so-called exarchs, is a mirror image of what had made the Patriarch of Constantinople in the 1920-ies, when our Church, headed by Patriarch Tikhon was in the most difficult conditions — continued the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Patriarch had experienced serious pressure from the authorities, inspired by the authorities schismatic organization, the Renovationist “Church” — is gaining strength, and then the Patriarch of Constantinople, Gregory VII decided to send to Moscow the so-called Commission allegedly at the request of some Orthodox. Naturally, the Russian Orthodox Church no request to the Patriarch Gregory VII was not sent — apparently, they were sent dissenters-the Renovationists. Patriarch Tikhon wrote a very clear, canonically reasoned letter of protest to the canonical territory of the Russian Orthodox Church, which he headed, by the non-canonical was sent to a “Commission” from one Local Church to another. We know how difficult the conditions were at that time Patriarch Tikhon. But despite the fact that the Patriarch was practically deprived of his liberty, he courageously and clearly defined position.”
“Because what is happening now in Ukraine, as I said, is a mirror image of what took place in the early twentieth century, we must follow the line, which very bravely identified his Holiness Patriarch Tikhon in the hardest for our Church and that is the only canonically correct and justified”, — concluded his Holiness Patriarch Kirill.