Filaret broke the oath and deceived himself, – hierarch of UOC

When the Kharkov Council was convened, the bishops of the UOC acted as they should in case their opinion contradicts the opinion of the Primate. This was said on May 26 by Metropolitan Sergius of Ternopol and Kremenets during the AIF online conference "How Kharkov Council Really Went".

"Hierarchs of the UOC three times appealed to Filaret with a request to be at the Council. In the Church there is a provision that bishops must obey the Primate, but the Primate also cannot decide alone without them. Moreover, it was the promise of the then Metropolitan Filaret to resign as Primate.

He did not obey the Council of Bishops, he broke his oath, and he deceived himself, refused his words.

We acted as we should in this case: if the Primate stumbled, the Church must live on," Vladyka explained.

As reported by the UOJ, 25 years ago, during the convention of the Kharkov Council, external events influenced the life of the Church: the authorities attempted to impose reforms on the Church.

Read also

Fr. Gabriel Bunge: From Benedictine Monk to Orthodox Hermit

Steeped in the writings of Evagrius Ponticus, Swiss Benedictine Gabriel Bunge converted to Russian Orthodoxy in 2010 and became Schiarchimandrite Gabriel, guiding souls through prayer and patristic wisdom from his Alpine skete.

Abp. Elpidophoros Honored at Record-Breaking Gala

Organizers hailed the milestone as a testament to unity, with a 25% increase over last year's giving.

Greek Abbot: LGBT Ideology Signals Antichrist's Approach

Fr. Dositheos told the UOJ that imposing LGBT ideology through education is a "war against God," signals the Antichrist's approach, and surpasses Sodom's depravity, urging repentance and a return to Orthodox roots.

Abp. Elpidophoros "Excited" about Orthodox-Miaphysite Dialogue

At Brookline conference, Archbishop Elpidophoros claimed that Orthodox and Miaphysites simply express the same beliefs in different ways.

Catholic Bishops Oppose Trump's Threat to Invade Nigeria

Abp. Ignatius Kaigama rejects U.S. President Trump's threat of airstrikes to protect Nigerian Christians, warning it would harm Christian-Muslim coexistence and urging diplomatic support, funding disruptions, and security training instead.

UOC-KP Dioceses Reject Filaret’s 'Coerced' OCU Meeting, Defends Independence

UOC-KP dioceses in Odesa-Balta and Sumy denounce Patriarch Filaret's November 5, 2025, meeting with OCU head Epifaniy Dumenko as coerced through abduction and psychotropic influence, vowing to defend the independent Kyiv Patriarchate and its primate's testament against dissolution attempts.