In Kyiv, farewell ceremonies are taking place for the honorary Patriarch of Kyiv and all Rus-Ukraine, Filaret. The ceremony began on the morning of March 22 at the St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery, where a requiem liturgy was held under the leadership of Metropolitan Epiphanius, the head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. Hundreds of people came to honor the memory of the spiritual leader.
This is reported by Finway
Farewell and Burial at the Vladimir Cathedral
After 11:00 AM, the mourning procession with the body of Patriarch Filaret set off from St. Michael’s Monastery, passing through Sophia Square to the Vladimir Cathedral. It is there that the final rites and burial are planned to take place according to the spiritual testament of the hierarch.
“At noon on March 20, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine announced that Patriarch Filaret had passed away.”
Filaret – A Key Figure in Modern Ukrainian Orthodoxy
Filaret (born Mykhailo Denysenko) was born on January 23, 1929. For many years, he led the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate, starting in October 1995. In December 2018, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which received the tomos from the Ecumenical Patriarch, granted Filaret the status of Honorary Patriarch.
On March 9, 2026, the OCU appealed to the faithful to pray for the health of Patriarch Filaret, announcing his hospitalization and deterioration in health.
In June 2022, shortly after the onset of Russia’s full-scale aggression, Filaret called for the convening of a unifying council of the three branches of Ukrainian Orthodoxy: the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, and the UOC of the Kyiv Patriarchate.
