By Bishop Paul Peter Jesep

Bishop Paul Peter Jesep of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church Kyiv-Patriarchate in the Diaspora issued a statement that a united Orthodox Church must never occur at the expense of the spiritual integrity and sovereignty of its people. 

It is very disturbing to read news accounts that religious and political leaders seek the ecumenical patriarch as their 'ruler,' as recently reported by ForUm.com, or to be 'acknowledged' as a Ukrainian Church," Bishop Jesep said.  "If Ukrainians don't want to be the spiritual serfs of Moscow why would they want to be acknowledged through their submission to a foreign church south of Ukraine?

Ukrainians don't need anyone's permission to be canonical.  They answer to God.  That's the only canonical legitimacy needed.  Club membership is not required in Ukraine or the United States.  Ukraine is the second largest nation in Europe with one of the largest Orthodox populations in the world," Bishop Jesep observed.

Asking for someone's permission rather than expecting its religious leaders in Ukraine or the Diaspora to act like leaders in the worldwide Orthodox community only diminishes and marginalizes their significance and the role Ukraine played as the birthplace of Slav Orthodoxy.  It's very sad and a missed opportunity.

Bishop Jesep serves by Appointment to His Beatitude Metropolitan Mefodii of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church Kyiv-Patriarchate as Director of Public Affairs and Government Relations in the United States.

The views and opinions in the articles above do not necessarily reflect those of the UAOC