A couple of questions I would have liked to see answered here:
What is the mechanism by which a UOC-MP parish, with or without its priest, defects to another communion?
What exactly is meant by "the religious activities" of the UOC-MP being "legally banned" in certain jurisdictions? Liturgical celebration is banned and considered criminal? What has happened to the church buildings in these jurisdictions?
Adding on to Josh's comment above, do all parishes that leave the UOC-MP join the OCU, or do some register as "independent Orthodox communities" as Mr. Antoshevsky said was possible? Do some even consider joining the UGCC? Furthermore, do defecting parishes retain their church buildings and/or liturgical property like vestments, statuary, and sacred vessels?
Also, would it be possible to obtain interviews with Orthodox parishioners or clergymen who have defected from the UOC-MP, and/or with OCU clergy who have found themselves needing to welcome and minister to former UOC members?
On a broader scale, have Catholic/Orthodox relations in Ukraine changed much as a result of the war? I think I recall Archbishop Shevchuk saying that Orthodox and Catholic clergy had been sheltering in each other's churches sometimes. Have they celebrated Divine Liturgy together and/or in each other's churches? Have Orthodox faithful found themselves seeking the sacraments from Catholic priests or vice-versa, and have the sacraments been given? I have and inkling that the war in Ukraine is a unique and critical moment for both Catholics and Orthodox, and if handled well by the clergy and faithful, may prove to bear fruits for both churches. Thus, I think it would be both fascinating and worthwhile to explore these events to better understand the religious situation there.
A couple of questions I would have liked to see answered here:
What is the mechanism by which a UOC-MP parish, with or without its priest, defects to another communion?
What exactly is meant by "the religious activities" of the UOC-MP being "legally banned" in certain jurisdictions? Liturgical celebration is banned and considered criminal? What has happened to the church buildings in these jurisdictions?
Adding on to Josh's comment above, do all parishes that leave the UOC-MP join the OCU, or do some register as "independent Orthodox communities" as Mr. Antoshevsky said was possible? Do some even consider joining the UGCC? Furthermore, do defecting parishes retain their church buildings and/or liturgical property like vestments, statuary, and sacred vessels?
Also, would it be possible to obtain interviews with Orthodox parishioners or clergymen who have defected from the UOC-MP, and/or with OCU clergy who have found themselves needing to welcome and minister to former UOC members?
On a broader scale, have Catholic/Orthodox relations in Ukraine changed much as a result of the war? I think I recall Archbishop Shevchuk saying that Orthodox and Catholic clergy had been sheltering in each other's churches sometimes. Have they celebrated Divine Liturgy together and/or in each other's churches? Have Orthodox faithful found themselves seeking the sacraments from Catholic priests or vice-versa, and have the sacraments been given? I have and inkling that the war in Ukraine is a unique and critical moment for both Catholics and Orthodox, and if handled well by the clergy and faithful, may prove to bear fruits for both churches. Thus, I think it would be both fascinating and worthwhile to explore these events to better understand the religious situation there.