Filaret (Denysenko)

Filaret ( Mykhailo civil Antonowytsch Denyssenko / Михайло Антонович Денисенко; Russian Mikhail Antonovich Denisenko / Михаил Антонович Денисенко; born January 23, 1929 in Blahodatne, Rajon Amwrossijiwka, Donetsk Oblast ) is a Ukrainian monk, priest, bishop, archbishop, Metropolitan of Kiev and Halych, Metropolitan of Kiev and throughout Ukraine, Patriarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kiev Patriarchate, excommunicated in 1997 by the Russian Orthodox Church and condemned.

Career

Filaret comes from a working class family in the Donbass. After graduation in 1946, he attended the Spiritual seminar in Odessa, which he completed with distinction. He then studied at the Theological Academy of Moscow. During his studies, he put in January 1, 1950 from his monastic vows with the name Filaret. In the 15 January of the same year he was appointed by Patriarch Alexius I Hierodiakon. Then, in June 18, 1950 was ordained Hieromonachos. After finishing his studies he himself taught at various colleges and seminaries of his church. Since the year 1953 he became a teacher at the Moscow Theological Academy. In the academic years 1953-54 he became Privatdozent this academy. In 1956 he was Hegumen and he worked as an inspector at the Saratov Theological Academy. In 1957 he was inspector at the Kiev Theological Academy and on July 12 he was Archimandrite.

In 1960 he was accepted CEO of the Ukrainian Exarchate and he was also head of the Kiev St. Volodymyr's Cathedral.

From June 1961 until January 1962 he was head of the Russian Orthodox Church to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria in the city of Alexandria.

In 1962 he was ordained a bishop and took over the new Eparchy of Vienna and Austria. 1

In May 14th 1966, he was accepted Archbishop of Ukraine and Halych and February 26, 1967 he was made ​​Metropolitan.

Filaret II worked with in the international Christian Peace Conference (CFRP ) and was a participant in their V. and VI. Allchristlichen Peace Convocation in 1978 and 1985 in Prague. He was a member of their governing bodies and, since 1985, one of its Vice-Presidents.

Denyssenko always represented the unity of the Russian Orthodox Church during the existence of the Soviet Union. In 1991, a referendum on the preservation of the USSR was recognized, he called his faithful to approve this project. After the death of Patriarch Pimen I, he had been appointed administrator of the patriarchate and now received the title of Metropolitan of Kiev and throughout Ukraine. After the Soviet Union broke up, he tried to get the autocephalous status in the College of Bishops for its Ukrainian Metropolia, but this did not succeed. Since then he called its own Ukrainian Church into being, thus contributing to the cleavage of Orthodoxy in Ukraine, which now consists of three warring factions Church. Despite this, he developed a number of activities to attract other autocephalous church leaders, foreign bishops and other apostates for the consolidation of its Independent Church. In 1997 he was excommunicated for his actions by the Moscow Patriarchate and canonically condemned. The output of this church dispute is uncertain to this day. But other activities from both sides including correspondences go further.