Archbishop Sylvester of Belogorodsk, in an interview with the Dialogue.TUT portal, answered, in particular, the question of whether the UOC really maintains contact with Ecumenical Orthodoxy only through the ROC, whether a break with the ROC will lead to catastrophic consequences for every believer, and whether it is possible to break the connection with the canonical center at all.

“The canonical center, if we use such a phrase, of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is the city of Kyiv, since the Primate of our Church occupies precisely this, the first honorable chair of our Church. And the administrative center is also located in Kyiv,” the bishop noted.

“In addition, one must understand that each individual diocese is actually a local (local) Church with a bishop at the head. And each bishop has the same sacramental and canonical powers as other bishops. In this sense, all bishops are equal. And for communication it is necessary not to be under a church ban and, of course, to be Orthodox. Therefore, I believe that the Churches communicate with each other directly, in Christ and through Christ,” said the rector of Kyiv Theological Academy and Seminary.

Archbishop Sylvester added that he did not understand at all the essence of the assertion that “some Church maintains communion with Ecumenical Orthodoxy through another Local Church.”

“Although this wording is used in new church documents, it seems to me not quite correct. (By the way, the wording that the Local Churches communicate with each other through the Patriarchate of Constantinople can be found in the statutory documents of the OCU),” he noted.

“In connection with everything that has been said, I think that we should think more deeply about the essence of the Orthodox teaching about the Church. Today, it is increasingly being said that ecclesiology (the doctrine of the Church) is becoming the main theological discipline of our time. This is true. It is here that the most difficult problems arise that require calm and thoughtful discussion. I am convinced that in response to modern challenges, we must deepen our understanding of the nature of the Church,” summed up the bishop.