The OCU published a “Statement on the destructive activities of Archpriest Bogdan Zgoba from the United States” in connection with, according to the document, the dissemination of information by Archpriest Bogdan Zgoba from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, as allegedly about the “secretary of the Vicariate of the UOC-KP” in this country, nominating him on behalf of the “honorary patriarch” Filaret and on his own behalf of various anti-canonical demands. The statement is posted on the OCU website.

“Archpriest Bogdan Zgoba from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, dated November 5, 2016, was not, is not and cannot be a cleric, much less a“ secretary of the Vicariate of the UOC-KP ”in America. Archpriest Bogdan Zgoba is subject to ecclesiastical condemnation for numerous canonical violations, for behavior incompatible with the title of priest, interference in church issues that do not fall within his competence, appropriation of powers and the advancement of illegal and non-canonical demands to parishes, clergy and laity.

The close contacts of Archpriest Bogdan Zgoba with officials of the Moscow Patriarchate and its Department for External Church Relations also give grounds to reasonably assume the influence of Russian forces on the current development of the situation.

Any orders, decrees and other documents signed by Honorary Patriarch Filaret (Denisenko), the retired bishop of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, on behalf of the religious association of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate, which ceased to exist separately on December 15, 2018 and since then has fully entered the religious association Orthodox Church of Ukraine – initially do not work, legally and canonically null and void and not subject to execution. In particular, this also applies to orders on the activities of parishes in the United States, which were part of the UOC-KP, ”the document says.

The head of the UOC-KP, Filaret, by his Decree No. 3 of February 2, 2021, appointed “Archpriest” Bohdan Zgoba as the new secretary of the Vicariate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate in the USA and Canada.