Today Patriarch Filaret is called differently. A talented priest who has made a fast-paced career, or an impostor, whose ambitions have caused the schism of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
At birth in 1929, he received the name of Mikhail Antonovich Denisenko. The boy spent his childhood in a small village in the Donbass. From an early age, the child learned the bitterness of the loss of loved ones. His grandfather died during the Holodomor, his father died at the front. The death of his relatives for the first time made Misha think about his future.
Confessor career
After graduating from school immediately after the war, he became a third-year theological seminary in Odessa. Then he continued his education at the Moscow Theological Academy. In his second year, Mikhail was tonsured into monasticism and given the name Filaret. Now there was no greater love in his personal life than the ministry of the church. The career of a spiritual father began at the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. At the same time, with the approval of the patriarch, he became a hierodeacon and then a hieromonk. After the academy, the candidate of theology remained to teach there and at the same time continued to serve in the Lavra.
In 1954 he became an assistant professor. The abbot was assigned to inspect seminaries in Saratov, and then in Kiev. After receiving the rank of archimandrite, he headed the seminary in the Ukrainian capital. Filaret had a chance to carry out a sacred service in Egyptian Alexandria, Leningrad, Riga and Western Europe.
Since 1964 he served as the rector of the Academy in Moscow. A few years later, as Metropolitan of Kiev and Galicia, he became a member of the Holy Synod. During this period, the clergyman made several official foreign trips to European countries, at the 1976 Geneva meeting he headed the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church. For this he was awarded several state awards.
After the death of Pimen, he became one of the candidates for the post of patriarch. They say that he turned to the party bodies for help, work with which grew into close ties, but no help came. The Holy Synod made its decision and Metropolitan Alexy became the patriarch.
Autocephaly
Historical events in the early 90s changed the political views of the priest. Prior to that, he was a supporter of Soviet power, believing that only with her a native of a simple mining family was able to achieve such heights in his biography. After the creation of an independent state, he became an ardent supporter of the complete independence of the Ukrainian church. When the exarchate approved the decision on its autonomy, Filaret received the title of Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine.
It cannot be said that autocephaly received the absolute support of the priests and the population of the country. The Moscow Cathedral proposes that Filaret resign, but the Metropolitan continued his service and put pressure on his colleagues. The Archean Council in Kharkov in May 1992 expressed its distrust to him and fired him. A month later, the Council in Moscow deprived him of all rights and degrees. In 1997, the schismatic was excommunicated and anathematized.
Further activities
Despite his resignation and "eruption" from dignity, Filaret found the support of the Ukrainian authorities. The decision in Kharkov was declared illegal and uncanonical. Thanks to state intervention in church affairs, he retained control over the funds of the UOC. His residence and the Vladimir Cathedral were carefully guarded by the police and nationalist organizations. This did not allow the new metropolitan to gain access to current affairs. In an effort to maintain power, the priest decided to unite two Ukrainian churches - the canonical and the autocephalous.
The new organization, called the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate, was actually led by Filaret. This association did not last long and split into several church directions. Russian Orthodoxy has repeatedly stressed that Ukraine recognizes only one current canonical Metropolitan of Kiev Vladimir, who was replaced by Metropolitan Onufry after his death in 2014.
Today in Ukraine there are three Orthodox churches - Ukrainian, Russian and Autocephalous. The number of supporters of the former is constantly growing. The Moscow Patriarchate, which unites most of the country's believers, is constantly oppressed. Affected by the political mood in the state and the events of recent years.
Filaret, who to this day leads the Kiev Partyarchy, was a supporter of Euromaidan and the actions of the Ukrainian army in the east of the country. Despite the harsh, sometimes aggressive statements that have an anti-Russian orientation, the confessor in his recent address to the Patriarch of Moscow Kirill expressed hope for reconciliation. Several months ago, Filaret's request to the Ecumenical Patriarch to lift the anathema was granted.
