Reconciliation with the OCU would have happened already if someone hadn’t interfered – representative of the UOC MP.

Archbishop Nikodim on the Reconciliation of the UOC and the UOC MP

Archbishop of the UOC MP Lyubetsky Nikodim believes that the delay in reconciliation between the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU/UOC) and the Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC MP) has occurred due to political interference. He believes that if there had been no political moments in the granting of the Tomos, reconciliation would have already taken place.

«Someone at the top of the power needs to understand that politics has nothing to do with this. If someone hadn’t interfered with those papers (the granting of the Tomos to the OCU/OCU), reconciliation would have already happened,» said Archbishop Nikodim.

Archbishop Nikodim shared that most young hierarchs of the UOC and OCU at the local level support communication and strive to live in peace. However, political interference, according to him, has caused conflicts in the churches that will be difficult to resolve.

«The attitude that existed before will not be the same. A generation of those hierarchs who saw how their churches were taken away, how the laws were violated, now has to die out,» added Archbishop Nikodim.

On Easter in Chernihiv, a joint prayer of representatives of the UOC MP and the OCU/OCU took place, which became a true religious event. The prayer was attended by representatives of different confessions and was an example of the unity of believers.

Interestingly, Archbishop Nikodim in October 2024 signed a statement against the interference of the Russian Orthodox Church in the affairs of the UOC and expressed criticism of the idea of transitioning to the OCU. He also noted that most bishops of the UOC MP on the ground maintain contacts with the clergy of the OCU and are ready for dialogue, while political pressure can harm church understanding.

It has already been over 8 months since the adoption of the law prohibiting the activities of religious organizations with a center in the aggressor state in Ukraine. According to it, religious communities associated with the Russian Orthodox Church were given 9 months to separate from Moscow.

Archbishop Nikodim emphasized the importance of resolving the conflict between the UOC and the UOC MP and the joint prayer of those important to the believers of both churches.