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The '''Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church''' (UAOC) is one the third largest Orthodox Church in Ukraine after the autonomous [[Church of Ukraine|Ukrainian Orthodox Church]] under the Moscow Patriarchate and the independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the big three [[Kyiv Patriarchate]]. The UAOC, which has its origins in the early 20th century in Ukraine, has preserved the vision of an independent Ukrainian Orthodox Churches Church and Ukrainian nationalism in the Ukrainian Diaspora during the Soviet era and now in independent Ukraineitself.

==HistoryFounding and Dissolution of the UAOC==In 1921 an All-For centuries what became the UAOC was part of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine Sobor (Synod) created , which was founded by the Church of Constantinople and remained part of it prior to the independence of the '''Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox [[Church of Russia|Churchof Rus''' ('''UAOC''') in ]]. After the transfer of the seat of the metropolitans of Kiev from Kiev to cities further east and ordained Metropolitan Vasyl north (Lypkivskyand eventually to Moscow) as head the territories of what today is Ukraine came under the UAOC. The UAOC was at that point independent of all other churches. It obtained its autocephalous status a few years later in 1924 when Gregory VIIPolish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Patriarch of which had jurisdiction over the region returned to Constantinople, Ecumenical Patriarch, issued a tomos re-establishing and eventually to the Kievan Rus-Ukrainian) Metropolitan bishop see as an Autocephalous Catholic Churchafter the [[Union of Brest]]. The responsibility It wasn't until the conquest of establishing a new Synod of Bishops Ukraine by the rising Russian Empire that its Church was given to reunited with the Metropolitan-Archbishop Church of Warsaw, Dionisij WaledynskyjRus'.

In wake Due to the cultural differences that had developed as a result of the Polish occupation and the Union of Brest the break up reunion of the Russian Empire Orthodox Church in Ukraine with the Church of Rus' was opposed by some national groups sought autonomy from MoscowUkrainian Orthodox, who began advocating the establishment of an independent Church of Ukraine. The Soviet government persecuted Although suppressed by the UAOC; and Russian Empire, following its collapse in the Russian early 20th century supporters of an independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church held an All-Ukrainian Council (ROC''sobor'') also prevented in Kiev that on 5 May 1920 declared the UAOC from establishing their ecclesiastical order for some time. Between the wars the UAOC was tolerated by the ROC and it was allowed to exist on Ukrainian Soviet territoryestablishment of an independent Local Orthodox Church in Ukraine.

On October 8The UAOC sought for hierarchical support, 1942 Archbishop Nikanor but none of the hierarchs serving in Ukraine would join the Church and consequently in 1921 a group of clergy and laymen together "consecrated" Archpriest [[Mstyslav (Skrypnyk) of Kiev|Bishop MstyslavVasyl Lypkivskyj]] as a bishop, enthroning him as Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine. He consequently "consecrated" other bishops for Ukraine and dioceses of the UAOC formed in Canada and the United States by Ukrainian nationalists and Metropolitan Oleksiy converts from Ukrainian Catholicism. (Hromadsky) of These eparchies later became the [[Ukrainian Autonomous Orthodox Church entered into an Act of Union at the Pochaev Lavra uniting these two church hierarchies. German occupation authorities Canada]] and pro-Russian hierarchs of the Autonomous [[Ukrainian Orthodox Church convinced Metropolitan Oleksiy to withdraw his signature. Metropolitan Oleksiy was executed in Volynia on May 7, 1943 by UPA insurgentsthe USA|Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA]].)

The Russian Orthodox Church regained its general monopoly after World War II UAOC in Ukraine was dissolved following the Ukrainian SSR. Most Bolshevik occupation and annexation of eastern and central Ukraine in the other churches were forced out as 1920s. In 1924, however, the Soviet government only recognized the Moscow Ecumenical Patriarchate, revived at unilaterally rescinded the time transfer of the Russian RevolutionOrthodox Church in what today is western Ukraine, as Belarus, and Poland to the only legitimate church in most Church of the Soviet Union. Many accused Rus' and established it of being a puppet of as the Communist Party. After the suspicious death of Tikhon of Moscow these autocephalic churches sought to remain independent; something that Moscow tolerated until after World War Two when many Ukrainian Orthodox clergy not affiliated with Moscow fled to Germany or the United States. The UAOC in [[UkraineChurch of Poland]] was then liquidated by . Although operating on the Soviets with the assistance territory of the Patriarchate of Moscow. Any UAOC hierarchs or clergy who remained in Ukraine interwar Poland and refused to join officially called the Russian Polish Orthodox Church were executed or sent to concentration camps. A few years later the same thing happened to the , this new Local Orthodox Church's flock was primarily Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and Belorussian in Western Ukraine and Transcarpathiacomposition.

Re-gaining ==Restoration of the UAOC==During World War II the German government strongly encouraged Ukrainian and Belorussian nationalism as a counterweight to Polish and Soviet resistance and influence in Eastern Europe. It was this that allowed dissident hierarchs of the state recongnition Polish Orthodox Church in what had been southeastern Poland and the late 1980swestern USSR to declare the restoration of the UAOC in 1942. Bishop [[Polycarp (Sikorsky) of Lutsk]], formerly of the Church was initially ruled from abroad by Patriarch Mstyslav and then following his death in 1993 re-established itself as an independent churchof Poland, following became the brief union with first legitimately consecrated hierarch to serve as primate of the UOCUAOC (its pre-KPWWII hierarchical consecrations had all been invalid under canon law).

Geographically the church operates almost exclusively ==UAOC in the western Galcian provinces with minute support elsewhere. Diaspora==The church used to have a lot restoration of parishes abroad the UAOC in Ukraine proved to be brief as the region was occupied by the Ukrainian emigre communities Red Army in Canada the 1940s and in annexed to the United StatesSoviet Union. However, these parishes now form Those hierarchs and clergy of the separate churches (whom are now under the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople), UAOC who remained in Soviet Ukraine were forced to submit to the [[Ukrainian Orthodox Church of CanadaMoscow Patriarchate]] and or else sent into internal exile or executed. Several of the [[Ukrainian Orthodox Church 's hierarchs fled the advance of the USA]]. There is a parish of Red Army and ended up in the church Ukrainian Diaspora in Canberrathe West, Australiaamong them Metropolitan Polycarp.

In the following years the UAOC existed only in the Diaspora, with parishes scattered across the globe in Australia, North and South America, and Western Europe. It, like other jurisdictions present in the West following the Bolshevik Revolution, drifted in and out of communion with world Orthodoxy. Following the repose of Metropolitan Polycarp in France in 1953, Archbishop [[Mstyslav (Skrypnyk) of Kiev|Mstyslav (Skrypnyk)]] of Parma became primate of the UAOC in 1969. ==UAOC Returns to Ukraine==In 1990 the weakening of the central government of the Soviet Union allowed for the restoration of the UAOC in Ukraine for the first time since World War II. Not long after the UAOC accepted into its communion hierarchs and clergy led by Metropolitan [[Philaret (Denysenko) of Kiev|Philaret of Kiev]] of the Moscow Patriarchate and elected the 92-year old Metropolitan Mstyslav as Patriarch of Kyiv and All Ukraine, enthroning him on 6 November 1990. Following the repose of Patriarch Mstyslav in 1993 two new Patriarchs of Kyiv, [[Volodomyr (Romaniuk)]] and [[Dymytrii (Yarema) of Kyiv|Dymytriy (Yarema)]], were elected by factions of the UAOC, those under Patriarch Volodymyr largely consisting of supporters of the former Russian Orthodox Metropolitan Philaret who together founded the Kyiv Patriarchate of Ukrainian Orthodox Church. It was around this time that both of the UAOC's dioceses in North America together with large parts of its Western European and Australian flocks left the Church to join the Ecumenical Patriarchate. After the death of Patriarch Dymytriy in 2000 the UAOC elected Archbishop [[Mefodiy (Kudryakov) of Kiev|Methodius]] of Ternopil' as Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine. Although the UAOC has established new dioceses in the Ukrainian Diaspora, it remains on friendly terms with its daughter churches under the Ecumenical Patriarchate and has attempted itself to establish communion with Constantinople in the hopes of having it establish a universally recognized, independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The UAOC today is concentrated in western Ukraine and has its headquarters at the historic Church of St. Andrew in Kiev. ==SourceExternal Links and Sources==*[http://www.uaoc.info/ua/ Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church] (Official Website of the UAOC)*[http://uaoc.org/ Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church in the USA] (Official Website of the UAOCUSA)*[http://www.uocc.ca/en-ca/about/history/ History of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada] (Official Website of the UOCC)*[http://www.ukrainianorthodoxchurchusa.org/history.html History of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA] (Official Website of the UOCUSA)*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrainian_Autocephalous_Orthodox_Church Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church] (Wikipedia Article)*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriarch_Mstyslav_%28Skrypnyk%29 Mstyslav (Skrypnyk)] (Wikipedia)*[http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polikarp_(Sikorski) Polikarp (Sikorski)] (Polish-language Wikipedia) [[fr:Église orthodoxe autocéphale ukrainienne]][[ro:Biserica Ortodoxă Autocefală Ucraineană]]  [[Category:Jurisdictions]]