Religious expert: Epiphany might be dismissed from leading OCU

Epiphany Dumenko and Filaret Denisenko. Photo: pomisna.info

Alexander Sagan, a religious scholar, Ph.D. and participant in the “Unification Council”, said that the conflict between Epiphany Dumenko and Filaret could lead to a coup at the top leadership of the OCU. He stated this in an interview with Fakty newspaper.

“On May 27, Alexander Trofimliuk, as it was earlier mentioned, was banned from ministry; on May 29 an attempt was made to seize his church (the visit of Father Boris Tabachek to the Holy Protection temple in Solomenka district), as well as an attempt to bring the brethren of Feodosiya monastery to the oath to the non-existent Kiev Patriarchate and an order to evict those disliked by the former patriarch from this monastery,” Sagan reports. “Furthermore, on behalf of the former patriarch, people from Pushkinskaya (Filaret’s residence – Ed.) invite supporters to some kind of congress or council. If this is not put a stop to, it is likely that Metropolitan Epiphany will be removed from leading the OCU.”

Alexander Sagan believes that with such developments, the Tomos and the autocephaly of the OCU will be discredited: "In fact, this will be an attempt to discredit the Tomos and the idea of autocephaly of Ukrainian Orthodoxy as a whole."

According to Sagan, the issue of Filaret must be brought to the level of the “Synod” or “Council of Bishops” of the OCU, and if necessary, to the church court: “No one in the church holds anyone forcibly. <...> If during the primacy of the former patriarch, one of the bishops of the UOC KP allowed himself at least a whit of what Filaret allows himself now, then such a "revolutionary" would be retired right on the next day."

As the UOJ reported, earlier Alexander Sagan affirmed that the desire of the “honorary patriarch” of the OCU Filaret to change the Statute of the newly formed church structure can only do it an ill service.

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