KYIV. Session of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Held on April 14

On April 14, at the residence of the Primate of the UOC the regular session of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was held, presided over by His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr, Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

The session of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church presided over by His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr of Kyiv and All Ukraine   -  

CONSIDERED the report of His Eminence Metrophanes, Archbishop of Bila Tserkva and Bohuslav, Administrator of the UOC, Chair of the Commission on Preparation of the visit of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia to Ukraine on the course of preparation forthe visit of His Holiness patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia to Ukraine, which is scheduled for July 27 - August 5, 2009. 


RESOLVED:

1. To take the information into consideration
2. To approve the presented composition of the Commission on Preparation of the visit of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia to Ukraine:   


1) Archbishop Metrophanes of Bila Tserkva and Bohuslav, Administrator of the UOC -  Chair of the Commission;
2) Metropolitan Hilarion of Donetsk and Mariupol;
3) Metropolitan Lazarus of Crimea and Simferopol;
4) Archbishop Pavel of Vyshgorod, Vicar of the Kyiv Metropolis, Deputy Abbot of the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra;
5) Archbishop Volodymyr of Pochayiv, Vicar of the Kyiv Metropolis, Deputy Abbot of the Holy Dormition Pochayiv Lavra;
6) Bishop Alexander of Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyi, Vicar of the Kyiv Metropolis, Secretary for the Primate of the UOC;
7) Archpriest Vitaly Kosovskyi, Secreatry of the Kyiv Metropolis;
8) Archimandrite Kirill (Hovorun), Chair of the Department for External Church Relations of the UOC;
9) Archpriest George Kovalenko, Press-Secretary for the Primate of the UOC;
10) Hegumeness Seraphima (Bandura), Abbess of the Holy Dormition Stauropegial Monastery of Zimne;
11) Hegumeness Seraphima (Shevchyk), Abbess of the Convent of St. Michel the Archangel, Head of the Synodal Department "Mission Church and Culture";
12) Reznikova Olena Mykolayivna;
13) Granovsky Volodymyr Mykolayovych;
14) Olishchuk Lyudmyla Dmytriyovna.
3. To turn to the President of Ukraine, to the Head of the Government of Ukraine, state authorities and the episcopate of the UOC with a request to render all possible support in preparation of the visit of His Holiness the Patriarch to Ukraine.

The session of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church presided over by His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr of Kyiv and All Ukraine   -  

CONSIDERED the information of His Beatitude Volodymyr, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine on approval of the jubilee mark of distinction dedicated to 450 years of bringing of the Wonderworking Icon of the Mother of God of  Pochayiv to Volyn.  
RESOLVED: to approve the draft of the jubilee mark of distinction dedicated to 450 years of bringing of the Wonderworking Icon of the Mother of God of Pochayiv to Volyn.  
 

The session of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church presided over by His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr of Kyiv and All Ukraine   -  

CONSIDERED the report of His Eminence Volodymyr, Archbishop of Pochayiv, Vicar of the Kyiv Metropolis, Deputy Abbot of the Holy Dormition Lavra of Pochayiv, on approval of the schedule of activities related to the celebration of the 450^th anniversary of bringing in the Wonderworking Icon of the Mother of God of Pochayiv to Volyn and the 350^th anniversary of invention of incorruptible relics of the Venerable John of Pochayiv   (July 31 - August 6, 2009).

RESOLVED: to approve the presented  schedule of activities related to the celebration of the 450^th anniversary of bringing in the Wonderworking Icon of the Mother of God of Pochayiv to Volyn and the 350^th anniversary of invention of incorruptible relics of the Venerable John of Pochayiv   (July 31 - August 6, 2009).  

The session of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church presided over by His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr of Kyiv and All Ukraine   -  

CONSIDERED the report of His Grace Joasaph, Bishop of Nova Kahovka and Beryslav on changing the title of the ruling bishops of the Diocese of Nova Kahovka to "(bishop) of Nova Kahovka and Genychesk".     
RESOLVED: to approve the title of the ruling bishops of the Diocese of Nova Kahovka "(bishop) of Nova Kahovka and Genychesk".

The session of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church presided over by His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr of Kyiv and All Ukraine   -  

CONSIDERED the report of His Eminence Vasyl (Zlatolynskyi), Archbishop of Zaporizhya and Melitopol on his dismissal from administration of the Diocese of Zaporizhya and retirement due to the health condition.   
RESOLVED:

1. To dismiss His Eminence Vasyl, Archbishop of Zaporizhya and Melitopol from administration   of the Diocese of Zaporizhya due to the health condition and to accept his retirement, expressing gratitude for the undertaken labours.   
2. To assign the city of Zaporizhya as the place of residence of the Most Reverend Vasyl (Zlatolynskyi).  

3. To entrust care and keeping of the Most Reverend Vasyl (Zaltolynskyi) on the Diocesan administration of Zaporizhya.   

4. To appoint the Right Reverend Joseph (Maslennikov), bishop of Vilnyansk, Vicar of the Diocese of Zaporizhya, to the office of  Bishop of Zaporizhya and Melitopol, removing him from the office of the Vicar of the Diocese of Zaporizhya.  

5. To detach the district of Vasyliv from the composition of the Diocese of Zaporizhya and to integrate it into the Diocese of Berdyansk, and to send corresponding decrees whereof.  

The session of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church presided over by His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr of Kyiv and All Ukraine   -  

CONSIDERED the information of His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr of Kyiv and All Ukraine on opening the Nativity of the Theotokos (men's) Monastery of  Tithes in Kyiv.   

RESOLVED: to bless the opening of the Nativity of the Theotokos (men's) Monastery of Tithes in Kyiv.
 

The session of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church presided over by His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr of Kyiv and All Ukraine   -  

CONSIDERED the report of His Eminence Ioann, Archbishop of Kherson and Tavryisk, head of the Canonization Commission of the UOC on establishment of the local veneration of the Synaxis of the Venerable Fathers and Venerable Martyrs of  Zvirynets on the fifth week of the Great Lent.   
RESOLVED: to bless establishment of the local veneration of the Synaxis of the Venerable Fathers and Venerable Martyrs of  Zvirynets on the fifth week of the Great Lent.

The session of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church presided over by His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr of Kyiv and All Ukraine   -  

CONSIDERED the report of His Grace Philip, Archbishop of Poltava and Myrhorod on establishment of the local veneration of the Icon of the Mother of God of Gorbaniv   on September 29/October 12.

RESOLVED: bless establishment of the local veneration of the Icon of the Mother of God of Gorbaniv   on September 29/October 12.

The session of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church presided over by His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr of Kyiv and All Ukraine   -  

CONSIDERED the report of His Eminence Mark, Archbishop of Khust and Vynohradiv, on establishment of the local veneration of the invention of the honorable relics of the Venerable Job of Ugolka on October 9/22.

RESOLVED: to bless  establishment of the local veneration of the invention of the honorable relics of the Venerable Job of Ugolka on October 9/22.
 

The session of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church presided over by His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr of Kyiv and All Ukraine   -  

CONSIDERED the report of His Eminence Ioann, Archbishop of Kherson and Tavriysk, Chair of the Commission on Canonization of Saints of the UOC on glorifying Archbishop Philaret of Chernihiv (Humilevskyi, +9. 08. 1866)
 among the ranks of the locally venerated saints of the Diocese of Chernihiv.
Having considered the life, labours, feats and miracles, and taking into account the people's veneration of Archbishop Philaret (Humilevskyi) of Chernihiv,   


RESOLVED:
1.  To bless local veneration and glorification of Archbishop Philaret of Chernihiv (Humilevskyi).
2. To approve the icon image of the Holy Hierarch Philaret. 
3. To consider his remnants the sacred relics.
4. To perform commemoration of the Holy Hierarch Philaret of Chernhiv on August  9/22.
5. To raise thanksgiving prayers to the Lord, wonderful in His saints, who revealed a new man of prayer for our Holy Church and our people. 
 

The session of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church presided over by His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr of Kyiv and All Ukraine   -  

CONSIDERED the report of His Eminence Ioann, Archbishop of Kherson and Tavriysk, Chair of the Commission on Canonization of Saints of the UOC on glorifying among the ranks of the locally venerated saints - ascetics of piety, who fought a good fight in the Sophrony-Molchensk Nativity of the Theotokos Caves Monastery of the Diocese of Konotop:

1. Archimandrite Theodosius (Maslov);
2. Hieromonk Serapion;
3. Elder Sophrony (Batovrin);
4. Novice Sergy Tikhonov.

Having considered the life, labours, feats and miracles, and taking into account the people's veneration of the ascetics of piety mentioned, who lived in the Sophrony-Molchensk Nativity of the Theotokos Caves Monastery of the Diocese of Konotop,

RESOLVED:

1. To bless for the local glorification and veneration as venerable fathers:
1) Archimandrite Theodosius (Maslov);
2) Hieromonk Serapion;;
3) Elder Sophrony (Batovrin);
and as fool for Christ
4) Novice Sergy Tikhonov..
2. To approve the icon image of the saints.
3. To consider their remnants the sacred relics.
4. To perform their commemoration on May 12/25.
5. To raise thanksgiving prayers to the Lord, wonderful in His saints, who revealed new men of prayer for our Holy Church and our people.

The session of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church presided over by His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr of Kyiv and All Ukraine   -  

CONSIDERED the report of His Eminence Luka, Archbishop of Hlukhiv and Konotop on deposition from the holy orders of the out-of-staff clergyman of the Diocese of Konotop Hieromonk Hermogene (Yakubovskyi). 

Proceeding from the Canons of the Holy Apostles No. 25, 26, 27, 42, 43, 54; of the 1^st Ecumenical Council No. 2, 9, 10; of the Council in Trullo No.  33; of St. Basil the Great No. 3, 32, 51; of Gregory of Nyssa  No. 5, 6; of the Prime-Second Council  No. 9 -

RESOLVED: to depose from the holy orders the out-of-staff clergyman of the Diocese of Konotop Hieromonk Hermogene (Yakubovskyi). 

 

† Volodymyr, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine,
Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church

Members of the Holy Synod of the UOC:




† Nicodemus, Metropolitan of Kharkiv and Bogodukhiv
† Agathangel, Metropolitan of Odessa and Izmail
† Ioanniky, Metropolitan of Luhansk and Alchevsk
† Onuphry, Metropolitan of Chernivtsi and Bukovyna
† Hilarion, Metropolitan of Donetsk and Mariupol
† Sophrony, Metropolitan of Cherkasy and Kaniv
† Mark, Archbishop of Khust and Vynohradiv
† Luka, Archbishop of Konotop and Glukhiv
† Metrophanes, Archbishop of Bila Tserkva and Bohuslav, Executive Administrator of the UOC