On the web site of the Volyn Diocese of the "Kyivan Patriarchate"
the information was published that "bishop" Mykhayil had performed the divine service in one of the temples of the Jerusalem Orthodox Church in
the course of his pilgrimage to the Holy Land together with some clergymen and parishioners.
The Synodal Department for External Church Relations
of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was presented explanations on the subject by
the Chief Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Jerusalem Orthodox Church,
Archbishop of Constantine Aristarch (on the photo).
In particular, Vladyka noted that no petitions had
been made by the representatives of the Kyivan Patriarchate for performing
divine services in the Orthodox temples of the Holy Land, as the canonical procedure required. At
the same time, if such a petition had been received, it would have been refused, since the Jerusalem Patriarchate recognizes only one canonical Orthodox Church in Ukraine,
headed by His Beatitude Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine Volodymyr, and considers the "Kyivan Patriarchate" to be a schismatic organization. All the clergymen of the Jerusalem Orthodox Church were
instructed on the subject.
