On 26 December, the final meeting of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in 2023 was held at Saint Panteleimon Convent at Feofaniia, Kyiv, and was chaired by the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy of Kyiv and All Ukraine. The UOC Information and Education Department publishes the results of the meeting.

Having considered the reports of diocesan bishops, the Holy Synod approved the appointment of the abbot of Saint Panteleimon Monastery of the Odesa Diocese and dismissed the abbess of the convent of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God in the Yusefyn tract of the Sarny Diocese.

The text of the service to the Icon of the Mother of God ‘Volodymyrska-Desiatynna’, which is at Kyiv’s Desiatynnyi Monastery of the Nativity of the Theotokos, was approved for liturgical use in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Summing up the results, the Holy Synod noted that in 2023, for the first time in the modern history of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the facts of criminal prosecution of hierarchs, clergy, and believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church have become particularly acute. The trials of Their Eminences Metropolitan Jonathan of Tulchyn and Bratslav, Metropolitan Pavel of Vyshhorod and Chornobyl, Metropolitan Theodosius of Cherkasy and Kaniv, and Metropolitan Longin of Bancheny have attracted a great deal of attention both in Ukraine and in the international community. In all of these cases, the grounds for criminal prosecution and the evidence used to substantiate the charges are questionable.

Also sad for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church are the consequences of the war, which, unfortunately, has already been going on in our country for two years. As of the end of 2023, fourteen clerics of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church were killed, and another twenty clerics were injured. Five members of our Church are considered missing.

One hundred and nineteen churches and premises for prayer were destroyed. Three hundred and twenty-nine churches were damaged as a result of military strikes. In addition, thirty monasteries were destroyed or severely damaged in consequence of the hostilities.

The Holy Synod concluded its work with reports on the activities of the Synodal Institutions of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in 2023.

So, despite all the hardships of the war and the persecution of hierarchs, clergy, and believers of our Church, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church continues to undeviatingly fulfil its salvation mission, without departing from doctrinal truths and church canons, provides spiritual support to everyone who needs it, and directs its efforts to provide social and humanitarian aid to victims of the war and servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. (Quelle: www.news.church.ua, 27. Dezember 2023)