UAOC “bishop”: Unification Council will not be held by the end of November

“Archbishop” Athanasy (Shkurupy) of Kharkov and Poltava of the UAOC

“Archbishop” Athanasy (Shkurupy) of Kharkov and Poltava of the UAOC spoke about the impending of the unification council on the ZIK TV channel, explaining that by the end of the month it will not be held.

According to Shkurupy, the negotiating commission, tasked with discussing the agenda for the unification council, has not held a single meeting.

“When the commission is working, the negotiators should work together to work to develop the charter and other documents about how the Church will live after the unification,” “Abp.” Athanasy said. “But there have been no proposals to date either from the Kiev Patriarchate or from the government—if it’s already initiated this whole process, then it should also at least be the arbiter in this process, but they haven’t approached us yet. I personally don’t know anything.”

Answering the question whether the council will be held by the end of November, Shkurupy expressed himself unambiguously: “I am sure of this. Maybe there will be a council of the Kiev Patriarchate, but the unification council—on what basis?”

Earlier, Ukrainian Parliament Chairman Andrei Paruby has said that the council should be held by the end of November. According to the Phanar hierarch, Archbishop Job (Getcha), Patriarch Bartholomew will convene a unification Council in Ukraine, when he “considers that the time has come”.

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