ON THE EVE OF THE KYIV COUNCIL

Nickolas Denissenko

Monday morning update (from the airport).

1. There is a lot of intrigue about a disagreement between the Kyivan Patriarchate and the EP concerning the voting procedures for the council. The KP desires open voting, with the non-episcopal delegates not having a vote (open means everyone will know how you voted). The EP wants secret voting with the votes of non-episcopal delegates counting.

It appeared that this disagreement might have been an obstacle to the convocation of the council, but the KP officially announced today that these are just proposals and that they will work with Metropolitan Emmanuel, with the full intention of participating.

2. The most recent estimate on the number of UOC-MP bishops who will participate is 4. The media reported that political pressures from an Opposition Bloc politician with great influence on the MP has scared away some bishops supportive of autocephaly. (I stand by my thesis: there are numerous political and state interests and interventions here, hardly limited to Poroshenko).

3. I also read a report that Patriarch Kirill admitted that the Ukrainian Church meets the conditions for autocephaly (I think it was in his sermon yesterday). Perhaps that will open the door to reconciliation a little later, when cooler heads prevail.

4. There are dozens of media reports, and it is HARD to get to the truth. It is VERY EASY to find a version of the truth that any one of us likes. So, let us keep open minds, charitable hearts, and prayerful souls.