The farewell ceremony for Patriarch Filaret commenced on the evening of March 20 at St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral in Kyiv. He will be laid to rest at the Volodymyr Cathedral, as confirmed by the press service of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU).
The public farewell started at 8:00 PM on March 20 and will continue until the morning of March 22. According to tradition, the Gospel will be read over his grave, accompanied by memorial prayers throughout this period.
On the morning of March 21, a Divine Liturgy and memorial service will take place. The farewell will remain accessible to the public, though access may be temporarily restricted for valid reasons.
On March 22, at 8:30 AM, a Divine Liturgy will be held at St. Michael’s Cathedral, led by Metropolitan Epiphanius alongside the episcopate and clergy.
Approximately at 11:00 AM, a funeral procession will depart from St. Michael’s Monastery, passing through Sofia Square to Volodymyr Cathedral for the final rites and burial.
Metropolitan Yevstratiy, spokesperson for the OCU, noted that Patriarch Filaret had expressed his wish to be buried at Volodymyr Cathedral during his lifetime. “We know that the Most Holy Patriarch wanted his final resting place to be at Volodymyr Cathedral. He spoke of this repeatedly, and we are fulfilling his wish,” he stated.
According to the metropolitan, Filaret conducted services at Volodymyr Cathedral for 60 years, which represents a significant portion of the cathedral’s history. “There is a tradition of burying hierarchs of the Orthodox Church within the church. The Most Holy Patriarch Filaret has served at Volodymyr Cathedral since 1960, with a brief interruption. This is over six decades, which is more than half of the cathedral’s historical existence. It is evident that he deserves to be laid to rest there,” Yevstratiy added.
Filaret was hospitalized on March 9 due to complications from chronic illnesses and passed away on March 20.
Background on Patriarch Filaret
In December 2018, a Unifying Church Council dissolved the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate, leading to the establishment of the OCU and the election of Metropolitan Epiphanius as its head. Filaret initially signed the decree for the dissolution but later rescinded his signature.
In May 2019, Filaret claimed that the Kyiv Patriarchate continued to exist and that he remained its patriarch. By July, the Ministry of Culture announced the dissolution of the Kyiv Patriarchate as it merged into the OCU.
In early December 2019, following the dissolution of the Kyiv Patriarchate, the OCU synod established a religious organization for Filaret in the form of a mission. The synod also granted him the right to live permanently at his residence on Pushkinska Street in Kyiv and to conduct services at Volodymyr Cathedral.
The Orthodox Church of Ukraine decided to suspend Filaret’s powers as a member of the OCU Synod. Although he remained part of the episcopate, he lost the canonical rights and responsibilities associated with managing a diocese. Additionally, as a retired archbishop, he was canonically prohibited from performing any ordinations.
Filaret, born Mykhailo Antonovych Denysenko, served as the Patriarch of Kyiv and All Rus-Ukraine for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate from 1995 to 2018. He celebrated his 97th birthday on January 23.
The farewell ceremony for Patriarch Filaret is underway at St. Michael's Cathedral in Kyiv, leading to his burial at Volodymyr Cathedral. The events span from March 20 to March 22, honoring his long service and fulfilling his wishes for his final resting place.