The Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) welcomes the Statement of the Permanent Conference of Ukrainian Orthodox Bishops Beyond the Borders of Ukraine dated 26 April 2018 to the clergy, monastics and faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the diaspora on the issuance of a Tomos of Autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Ukraine and calls upon the millions-strong Ukrainian diaspora to join in this appeal with the following prayer:
O Lord our God, You see, that the invisible and visible enemies divided the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and with it all Ukrainian people. Help us to promote the unification of Ukrainian Orthodoxy into a single Church, putting the cornerstone of apostolic rule that orders us to know that every nation, and among them the Ukrainian people, must have its first hierarch.
O Lord, inspire our separated brethren, so that they will unite around the Throne of Kyiv into a single Church and that Christian love would prevail among all of us, because You said: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another”.
Look upon us, Lord, the Lover of all mankind, and do not punish us for our iniquities, voluntary and involuntary, committed in knowledge and in ignorance. Let us have a true love amongst us, forgive us our trespasses and do not remember our transgressions.
Great Merciful Master, protect and preserve Ukraine from those who encroach on its independence and want to divide it, as you have always protected Christian countries. Let a united local Ukrainian Orthodox Church be a strong spiritual foundation for an indivisible Ukraine and the unity of our people, let its enemies be scattered and let peace, harmony and unity prevail among us.
O Lord, You said: “For without me you can do nothing.” Hear, о God, the prayer of your faithful and bless the initiated process of uniting the Orthodox into a single local Church of Ukraine for a successful conclusion. To His All-Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew, the Ukrainian Orthodox Hierarchs, the President, the Verkhovna Rada, and all those who work to this end, send wisdom and the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit, and unite everyone in the good cause of the speedy recognition of the Ukrainian Church. For Yours it is to have mercy on us and save us, our God, and to You we send up glory, to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages, Amen.
On 26 April 2018 UWC President Eugene Czolij participated in a teleconference with Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada Yurij (Yurij Kalistchuk), Chancellor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada Archpriest Taras Udoda and Ukrainian Canadian Congress President Paul Grod, during which he assured the support of the UWC for the Statement of the Permanent Conference of Ukrainian Orthodox Bishops Beyond the Borders of Ukraine. In 2016 and 2018, UWC President Eugene Czolij met with His All-Holiness Bartholomew I Archbishop of Constantinople – New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch to whom he presented the Resolutions ofthe UWC Annual General Meetings calling for the issuance of a Tomos of Autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Kyiv Patriarchate.
On 21 April 2018 the UWC called upon the Ecumenical Patriarch to issue a Tomos of Autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Ukraine in accordance with the wishes of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Kyiv Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, and in response to the appeal of the President of Ukraine as supported by the Parliament of Ukraine.
On 22 April 2018, the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Constantinople Patriarchate stated its intention to closely communicate and coordinate with its sister Orthodox Churches on the matter of issuing autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine.
“The Ukrainian World Congress calls upon the Ukrainian diaspora to pray for the fulfillment of the centuries-long aspiration of Ukrainians worldwide to attain autocephaly for the Orthodox Church in Ukraine,” stated UWC President Eugene Czolij.
