The Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), Metropolitan Epiphany, declared his readiness for negotiations with the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UPC MP), Metropolitan Onufry. This statement was made by Metropolitan Epiphany during a meeting with the delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, reports the press service of the OCU.
The head of the OCU noted that he has repeatedly declared his openness and readiness for a fair dialogue without any preconditions or ultimatums.
"A real and sincere dialogue, which is meant to have real prospects, cannot begin otherwise than with ordinary communication without previous calls for surrender, which obviously cannot be fulfilled. We are once again taking steps in the direction of dialogue, and a week ago I again appealed to Metropolitan Onufriy to start a dialogue... So far, we have not received a single positive response," said Metropolitan Epiphany.
He emphasized again that for more than five years he has called and continues to call for dialogue, but no constructive response has been received.
"Three demands were announced, which mean that we should abandon the decisions of the Mother Church, from Tomos, from everything that the Ecumenical Patriarch did for Ukraine. Is it possible to fulfill such prerequisites, if they are aimed not at unity, but at the destruction of the Local Church? Obviously, such ultimatums cannot be accepted. Therefore, we emphasize that you should talk without preconditions, sit down, drink tea or coffee, look into each other's eyes, talk from a clean slate about how to proceed, and not to remember all past grievances. And if Metropolitan Onufriy agrees, I can sit down and talk with him tomorrow," said the Primate of the OCU.
As reported by RP, on August 22, 2024, the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine received in his residence a delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate consisting of the Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada, Archbishop Hilarion of Winnipeg, Metropolitan Iov of Pisidia, and Patriarchal Deacon Epiphany (Kamyanovych).
The delegation arrived in Ukraine on August 21, 2024, with the blessing of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who in the corresponding letter to Metropolitan Epiphanius about its arrival noted that the members of the delegation "will hold meetings with state and church institutions and organizations exclusively in cooperation with you, and at the same time will convey blessings, good wishes and greetings of the Mother Church to your country and its noble people on the occasion of the 33rd anniversary of the declaration of independence of Ukraine."
