List of bishops of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church

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This is the list of the bishops of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church.

The Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church made its first deliberate attempt since 1686 to regain its independency from Moscow Patriarchate in 1919. However, no bishops were willing to lead the church. Therefore, the church decided to establish own bishops as they did in Early Christianity (see Consecration in Eastern Christianity). This did not solve an issue of legitimate bishops and those consecrated were labeled as self-consecrated or of the Lypkivsky's consecration. Nonetheless, most of the bishops were eventually persecuted by the Soviet regime as nationalistic and the church was liquidated by 1937.

The second attempt was taken by clergy of Polish Orthodox Church in 1942 after withdrawal of the Soviet forces as result of the German-Soviet War. The bishops of the Polish Orthodox Church managed to consecrate bishops for the new church but were forced to emigrate after return of the Soviet regime. The emigrated bishops established the Ukrainian church in diaspora and North America which eventually in 1990s joined the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.

Just before dissolution of Soviet Union, in 1989 persecution of Ukrainian religious organizations has eased and Ukrainians started to revive own church. The revival was led by very few local bishops of Russian Orthodox Church and later supported by the Church from diaspora. The new effort was led by a bishop-emeritus of the Russian Orthodox Church Ioann (Bodnarchuk).

In 2018 the church became an integral part of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

Bishops of UAOC and UAOC in diaspora[edit]

The church appeared originally as part of the Polish Orthodox Church. In 1948 UAOC lost its canonical communications with POC following emigration of its bishops from Ukraine after the World War II and with POC coming in closer ties with Russian Orthodox Church.

Upon its establishment the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church recognized bishops of Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church that was led by Metropolitan Vasyl (Lypkivsky). The creation of the church was approved by Dionizy (Waledyński), the primate of Polish Orthodox Church. On 9 April 1944 in Warsaw Dionizy (Waledyński) was proclaimed as Patriarch of all Ukraine, but not enthroned due to the Red Army military offensive onto Warsaw.

Earlier in 1919 along with Archbishop of Yekaterinoslav Agapit (Vyshnevsky), Dionizy (Waledyński) were supposed to lead newly established Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, but advancement of Russian armies of Anton Denikin prevented it.

# Name Rank Title Date of consecration Lead consecrator Years in UAOC Notes
From To
1 Aleksandr (Inozemtsev) · bishop (to 1927)
· archbishop (to 1942)
· metropolitan
· Lublin (to 1922)
· Pinsk and Polesie
June 4, 1922 George (Yaroshevsky) (ROC) December 24, 1941 December 31, 1944 joined ROCOR
2 Polikarp (Sikorsky) · bishop (to 02.08 1941)
· archbishop (to 1945)
· metropolitan
· Lutsk, vicar of Volhynian eparchy (to 02.08 1941)
· Lutsk and Kovel (до 1945)
· Lutsk and Volhynia
April 10, 1932 Dionysius (Waledyński) (POC) December 24, 1941 October 22, 1953 reorganized as UAOC in diaspora
3 Jerzy (Korenistow) · bishop · Brest, vicar of Pinsk and Polesie eparchy February 8, 1942 Aleksandr (Inozemtsev) (UAOC) February 8, 1942 December 31, 1943 joined POC
4 Nykanor (Abramovych) · bishop (to 17.05 1942)
· archbishop (to 22.10 1953)
· metropolitan
· Kyiv and Chyhyryn (to 22.10 1953)
· Kyiv
February 9, 1942 Aleksandr (Inozemtsev) (UAOC) February 9, 1942 March 21, 1969 reorganized as UAOC in diaspora
5 Ihor (Huba) · bishop (to May 1942)
· archbishop
· Uman (to July 1942)
· Bila Tserkva, vicar of Kyiv and Chyhyryn eparchy (to 1954)
· parish of Saint Trinity in New York
February 10, 1942 Aleksandr (Inozemtsev) (UAOC) February 10, 1942 November 24, 1966 reorganized as UAOC in diaspora
6 Photios (Tymoshchuk) · bishop · Chernihiv (to 1942)
· Vinnytsia
May 10, 1942 Nykanor (Abramovych) (UAOC) May 10, 1942 January 31, 1943 left UAOC
7 Manuil (Tarnavsky) · bishop · Bila Tserkva, vicar Kyiv and Chyhyryn eparchy May 11, 1942 Nykanor (Abramovych) (UAOC) May 11, 1942 June 22, 1942 joined UAutonomousOC, repeated consecration
8 Michael (Khoroshy) · bishop (to 1945)
· archbishop
· Kirovohrad May 12, 1942 Nykanor (Abramovych) (UAOC) May 12, 1942 August 8, 1951 joined UOC (Canada)
9 Mstyslav (Skrypnyk) · bishop (to 1947)
· archbishop (to 1950)
· metropolitan (to 18.11.1990)
· patriarch
· Pereyaslav (to 1947)
· Winnipeg and all Canada (to 1950)
· New York (to 18.11.1990)
· Kyiv and All Ukraine
May 14, 1942 Nykanor (Abramovych) (UAOC) May 14, 1942 June 11, 1993 reorganized as UAOC in diaspora, in 1947—1950 UOC (Canada)
10 Sylvester (Hayevsky) · bishop (to 1953)
· archbishop
· Lubny (to 1953)
· Melbourne and Australia-New Zealand
May 16, 1942 Nykanor (Abramovych) (UAOC) May 16, 1942 September 9, 1975 reorganized as UAOC in diaspora
11 Hryhoriy (Ohiychuk) · bishop · Zhytomyr (to 1947) May 17, 1942 Nykanor (Abramovych) (UAOC) May 17, 1942 October 3, 1947 created UAOC – Assembly-Ruled
12 Hennadiy (Shyprykevych) · bishop (to 1944)
· archbishop
· Sicheslav (to 15.10.1950)
· Chicago and West American
May 24, 1942 Polikarp (Sikorsky) (UAOC) May 24, 1942 September 1, 1962 joined UAOC – Assembly-Ruled
13 Volodymyr (Malets) · bishop (to 1956)
· archbishop
· Cherkasy (to 1943)
· Yelyzavetghrad (to 1944)
· North Bavarian (to 1949)
· Detroit
June 23, 1942 Nykanor (Abramovych) (UAOC) June 23, 1942 July 23, 1967 reorganized as UAOC in diaspora
14 Feofil (Buldovsky) · metropolitan · Kharkiv January 14, 1923 Hryhoriy (Lisovsky) (ROC) July 27, 1942 January 13, 1944 died in prison
15 Platon (Artemiuk) · bishop · Zaslav (to 1942)
· Rivne
August 2, 1942 Nykanor (Abramovych) (UAOC) August 2, 1942 August 5, 1951 reorganized as UAOC in diaspora
16 Vyacheslav (Lysytsky) · bishop · Dubno September 13, 1942 Polikarp (Sikorsky) (UAOC) September 13, 1942 February 26, 1951 joined North American Metropolitanate, repeated consecration
17 Serhiy (Okhotenko) · bishop (to 1949)
· archbishop
· Melitopol (to 1949) August 1, 1943 Michael (Khoroshy) (UAOC) August 1, 1943 February 4, 1949 blessed to join Belarusian AOC

Ruling bishops[edit]

  • Polikarp (Sikorsky) (joined from POC (1942) as Metropolitan of Lutsk and Volhynia (1941–1953)
    • temporary administrator of Autocephalous Church (1941–1945)
    • Primate of Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church in diaspora (1945–1953)
  • Nykanor (Abramovych) (1942 by Aleksandr (Inozemtsev) as Metropolitan of Kyiv and Chyhyryn (1942–1969)
    • Primate of Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church in diaspora (1953–1969)
  • Mstyslav (Skrypnyk) (1942 by Nykanor (Abramovych) as Metropolitan of New York (1950–1990), Metropolitan of Kyiv (1969–1993)
    • Primate of Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church in diaspora (1969–1993)
    • Primate of Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (1990–1993)

Former Bishops of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (World War II)[edit]

Joined Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada[edit]

Joined Ukrainian Orthodox Church in America[edit]

  • Ihor (Huba) (1942 by Aleksandr (Inozemtsev) as vicar Bishop of Uman (1942), Bishop of Bila Tserkva (1942–1951), joined Ukrainian Orthodox Church in America (1951–1954), along with Bishop Palladiy (Vidybida-Rudenko) in UAOC in exile (1954–1961), returned to UAOC in diaspora as Archbishop-Paroch of St.Trinity (1961–1966), died)

Joined churches of Moscow Patriarchate[edit]

Joined other churches[edit]

Joined Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church – Assembly-Ruled[edit]

Bishops of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church[edit]

The church revival in Ukraine has started on efforts of bishop of the Ukrainian Exarchate Ioan (Bodnarchuk) in 1989-90. In April of 1992 Ioan (Bodnarchuk) was banned from the church. In June of 1992 most of bishops joined the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP) as part of the first unification attempt, while only Bishop of Chernivtsi Danyil did not rush with his decision. Patriarch Mstyslav excommunicated Metropolitan Antoniy and Archbishop Romaniuk who joined the unification with Metropolitan Filaret. In December of 1992 Bishop Danyil finally joined UOC-KP, while at the same time Archbishop of Lviv Petro decided to stay as part of the original Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC).

Former Bishops of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church[edit]

Left the Church for UOC – KP before 2018[edit]

Left the Church for the Moscow Patriarchate and others[edit]

Died[edit]

Excommunicated[edit]

  • Ioan (Bodnarchuk) (1977 by Filaret (Denysenko) as Bishop of Zhytomyr and Ovruch (Ukrainian Exarchate, 1977–1989), Archbishop/Metropolitan of Lviv and Galicia (1989–1992), Metropolitan of Zhytomyr and Ovruch (1992), excommunicated)
  • Volodymyr (Romaniuk) (1990 by Ioan (Bodnarchuk) as Bishop of Uzhhorod and Vynohradiv (1990), Vicar Archbishop of Bila Tserkva (1990–1991), Vicar Archbishop of Vyshhorod (1991–1992), excommunicated)
  • Roman (Balashchuk) (1990 by Ioan (Bodnarchuk) as Bishop/Archbishop of Chernihiv and Sumy (1990–1992), joined UOC-KP (?excommunicated))
  • Antoniy (Masendych) (1990 by Ioan (Bodnarchuk) as Bishop/Archbishop of Rivne and Zhytomyr (1990–1992), Metropolitan of Pereyaslav and Sicheslav (1992), excommunicated)
  • Sofroniy (Vlasov) (1992 by Antoniy (Masendych) as Bishop of Vinnytsia and Kirovohrad (1992), Bishop of Zhytomyr and Ovruch (1992), joined UOC-KP (?excommunicated))
  • Mykhail (Dutkevych) (returned (1993) as Bishop of Bila Tserkva and Uman (1993–2001), created Ukrainian Apostolate Orthodox Church)
  • Feoktist (Peresada) (1993 by Petro (Petrus) as Bishop/Archbishop of Lutsk and Volhynia (1993–1997), retired (1997–2001), joined Ukrainian Apostolate Orthodox Church)
  • Ihor (Isichenko) (1993 by Petro (Petrus) as Bishop/Archbishop of Kharkiv and Poltava (1993–2003), created separate organization within own eparchy)
  • Mstyslav (Huk) (2010 by Methodius (Kudriakov) as vicar Bishop of Ternopil and Chervonohrad (2010–2015), Archbishop of Ternopil (2015–2016), Archbishop of Khmelnytskyi and Kamianets-Podilskyi (2016–2017), banned)

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]