List of bishops of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church explained

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

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.

NameRankTitleDate of consecrationLead consecratorYears in UAOCNotes
FromTo
1Aleksandr (Inozemtsev)· bishop (to 1927)
· archbishop (to 1942)
· metropolitan
· Lublin (to 1922)
· Pinsk and Polesie
George (Yaroshevsky) (ROC)joined ROCOR
2Polikarp (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
Dionysius (Waledyński) (POC)reorganized as UAOC in diaspora
3Jerzy (Korenistow)· bishop· Brest, vicar of Pinsk and Polesie eparchyAleksandr (Inozemtsev) (UAOC)joined POC
4Nykanor (Abramovych)· bishop (to 17.05 1942)
· archbishop (to 22.10 1953)
· metropolitan
· Kyiv and Chyhyryn (to 22.10 1953)
· Kyiv
Aleksandr (Inozemtsev) (UAOC)reorganized as UAOC in diaspora
5Ihor (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
Aleksandr (Inozemtsev) (UAOC)reorganized as UAOC in diaspora
6Photios (Tymoshchuk)· bishop· Chernihiv (to 1942)
· Vinnytsia
Nykanor (Abramovych) (UAOC)left UAOC
7Manuil (Tarnavsky)· bishop· Bila Tserkva, vicar Kyiv and Chyhyryn eparchyNykanor (Abramovych) (UAOC)joined UAutonomousOC, repeated consecration
8Michael (Khoroshy)· bishop (to 1945)
· archbishop
· KirovohradNykanor (Abramovych) (UAOC)joined UOC (Canada)
9Mstyslav (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
Nykanor (Abramovych) (UAOC)reorganized as UAOC in diaspora, in 1947—1950 UOC (Canada)
10Sylvester (Hayevsky)· bishop (to 1953)
· archbishop
· Lubny (to 1953)
· Melbourne and Australia-New Zealand
Nykanor (Abramovych) (UAOC)reorganized as UAOC in diaspora
11Hryhoriy (Ohiychuk)· bishop· Zhytomyr (to 1947)Nykanor (Abramovych) (UAOC)created UAOC – Assembly-Ruled
12Hennadiy (Shyprykevych)· bishop (to 1944)
· archbishop
· Sicheslav (to 15.10.1950)
· Chicago and West American
Polikarp (Sikorsky) (UAOC)joined UAOC – Assembly-Ruled
13Volodymyr (Malets)· bishop (to 1956)
· archbishop
· Cherkasy (to 1943)
· Yelyzavetghrad (to 1944)
· North Bavarian (to 1949)
· Detroit
Nykanor (Abramovych) (UAOC)reorganized as UAOC in diaspora
14Feofil (Buldovsky)· metropolitan· Kharkiv Hryhoriy (Lisovsky) (ROC)died in prison
15Platon (Artemiuk)· bishop· Zaslav (to 1942)
· Rivne
Nykanor (Abramovych) (UAOC)reorganized as UAOC in diaspora
16Vyacheslav (Lysytsky)· bishop· Dubno Polikarp (Sikorsky) (UAOC)joined North American Metropolitanate, repeated consecration
17Serhiy (Okhotenko)· bishop (to 1949)
· archbishop
· Melitopol (to 1949)Michael (Khoroshy) (UAOC)blessed to join Belarusian AOC

Ruling bishops

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

Joined Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada

Joined Ukrainian Orthodox Church in America

Joined churches of Moscow Patriarchate

Joined other churches

Joined Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church – Assembly-Ruled

Bishops of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church

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

Left the Church for UOC – KP before 2018

Left the Church for the Moscow Patriarchate and others

Died

Excommunicated

External links