In 2018, Filaret (primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kyiv Patriarchate) and Metropolitan Epiphanius (primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine) came into conflict over disagreements concerning the model of governance, the management of the diaspora, and the name and the charter of the newly-formed Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU). The conflict started during the process of the granting of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and continued after the reception of the tomos (official decree) of autocephaly of the OCU in January 2019. It resulted in the departure of Filaret, along with two bishops and a dozen priests, from the OCU on 20 June 2019 after a Local Council convened by Filaret, returning to an independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kyiv Patriarchate.

Filaret died on 20 March 2026, effectively ending the conflict in favour of Epiphanius. Filaret's attempts to re-establish a separate ecclesiastical jurisdiction failed to gain widespread support, and was mostly answered with rejection from Ukrainian society. Epiphanius expressed his "deep sorrow and grief in my heart" at hearing about Filaret's passing, praising the late patriarch's decades-long efforts at making the Ukrainian Church independent of Moscow.

Filaret's demands

Diaspora, Holy synod, primate role There were numerous things with which Filaret did not agree in the OCU. Filaret wanted:

To reorganize the Holy synod of the OCU by having 12 permanent appointed members of the holy synod instead of 3. To lead the OCU together with the Metropolitan, Epiphanius, and claims it was agreed so before the unification council. That the OCU be able to take care of the Ukrainian Orthodox diaspora. That the OCU be able to make its own myrrh. That the Ecumenical Patriarchate should not have a say in the internal conflict of the OCU.

OCU's name Filaret told members of the media department of the dissolved Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP) to convey the message that the OCU was not a new church and that the tomos of autocephaly was given to the UOC-KP. Filaret also instructed them to "eradicate" the name "Orthodox Church of Ukraine" because The Orthodox Church in Ukraine' means that this is not the ruling Church, but only one of the Churches in Ukraine ... And we are the ruling Church in Ukraine." This discussion between Filaret and the members was recorded and the pro-Moscow anonymous Union of Orthodox Journalists shared the recording on its website on 23 January 2019.

On 23 January 2019, Filaret declared in an interview given to the Federal News Agency that the OCU should be called "Ukrainian Orthodox Church". He says the origin of the name of the OCU is due to the fact that "there is an Orthodox church in Constantinople, and then they go [the exarchates dependent on Phanar]: the Orthodox Church in America, Canada, Europe, Australia - and the Orthodox Church in Ukraine". Filaret declared the OCU "should be called as all churches are called, and not be led by the Greeks".

We want to be an autocephalous church — just like all other Orthodox churches, no more and no less. We do not want neither more nor less. And we are grateful to Constantinople for the fact that Patriarch Bartholomew gave us a tomos of autocephaly, he has undergone much for this. But, having received a tomos of autocephaly, we must be an autocephalous church. Professor also supported Filaret, saying that "under no condition should we use the Orthodox Church in Ukraine or of Ukraine in press. Only the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and only with the possessive case."

Rising tensions

Deal at the unification council On 15 December 2018, the hierarchs of the UAOC decided to dissolve the UAOC, and the hierarchs of the UOC-KP decided to dissolve the UOC-KP. This was done because on the same day the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kyiv Patriarchate, and some members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) were going to merge to form the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) after a unification council. The unification council elected Epiphanius as its primate.

On 22 December 2018, Filaret declared that if he had run for the role of primate of the OCU at the unification council, Ukraine would never have got a tomos. On 20 January 2019, Filaret declared, concerning Epiphanius: "I supported him and fought for his candidacy, because among all the young bishops I see him as the most worthy to be the primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church."

Filaret explained on 15 May 2019 in an appeal the conditions of the council. According to Filaret, the agreement reached at the unification council was as follows: "the primate is responsible for the external representation of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), and the patriarch is responsible for the internal church life in Ukraine, but in cooperation with the primate. The primate shall do nothing in the church without the consent of the patriarch. The patriarch chairs the meetings of the Holy Synod and the UOC meetings for the sake of preserving unity, its growth, and affirmation." Filaret considers this agreement has not been fulfilled.

This deal was confirmed by . However it is denied by .

Filaret also said he was asked by the Ecumenical Patriarch not to put forward his (Filaret) candidacy at the council, and that , who chaired the council, asked him not to wear the koukoulion; Filaret was also asked to nominate any bishop for the post of primate. Filaret agreed to the demands and said he chose "humiliation" in order for the church to get the tomos.

After the unification council Filaret was given the title of the "honorary patriarch" of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine after the council. Volodymyr Burega, Professor and Vice-Rector of the Kyiv Theological Academy, explains this title in this way: "in December , no one wanted to aggravate relationships with Patriarch Philaret, since holding the council and receiving the Tomos were at stake. That is why the council, which took place on December 15, did not clarify the new status of Patriarch Filaret. After the unification council of the OCU, they stated that Filaret was henceforth "honorary patriarch", but what this phrase meant was difficult to understand. Indeed, such status is not stipulated in the Charter of the OCU, adopted on December 15."

On 16 December 2018, during a divine liturgy in which he came wearing the headgear of a patriarch, during his homily, Filaret declared he was still patriarch: "The Patriarch remains for life and, together with the Primate, governs the Ukrainian Orthodox Church". After the mass, he was acclaimed by the hierarchs of the church as "great vladyka and father Filaret, the holiest patriarch of Kyiv and all Ukraine-Rus and sacred archimandrite of the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra".

After receiving the tomos According to Epiphanius, a conflict had already started on 6 January after the tomos was received.

The first meeting of the Holy synod of the OCU was very tense. Moreover, Filaret demanded for the members of the synod not be appointed according to the statute and the tomos of autocephaly of the OCU, but for members of the former Holy synod of the UOC-KP be appointed instead. In the end, the members of the holy synod were appointed following the statute and tomos.

On 15 March 2019, Filaret declared that at the next local synod the OCU should change its charter, saying: "The most important thing is to change the number of permanent members of the Synod. We need not three of them but many more, like 12."

On 3 April, of the OCU wrote a text in which he said there was an attempt by the young bishops of the OCU to overthrow Filaret.

Beginning of risks of schism

Filaret's St Macarius celebration On 8 May 2019, Filaret sent invitations to former UOC-KP bishops for a meeting to celebrate St Macarius on May 13–14, but did not send an invitation to Epiphanius.

On 9 May, Filaret declared the UOC-KP still existed: "the Kyiv Patriarchate has not been liquidated. It is not liquidated. They want to present the situation as if it was liquidated. The Kyiv Patriarchate can be liquidated by the one who created it".

On 10 May, Filaret sent an invitation to Epiphanius; Filaret said he did not send an invitation to Epiphanius because since Epiphanius' election (five months) Epiphanius has not celebrated divine liturgy alongside Filaret.

The Ecumenical Patriarchate told BBC Ukraine about the situation when asked to comment: "This is terrible!" Filaret also stated to 1+1: "There is a patriarch, since there is a patriarch, it means there is a patriarchate, there is the Kyiv Patriarchate, and therefore it is not necessary to return the patriarchate, it is and must be". Asked by TCH if he admits that such actions could lead to a split in the church, Filaret said: "I admit, but we will create a single church - the Kyiv Patriarchate, necessarily."

Epiphanius gave an interview "connected with the rumors that Patriarch Emeritus Filaret wants to convene a Local Council in the beginning of summer with a view to change the Charter of the OCU and reassume the patriarchal status". In this interview, Epiphanius said that changing the charter of the OCU could mean a loss of the tomos, he also wrote on his Facebook page: "the return to the previous structure of the Kyiv Patriarchate means returning to isolation, loss of tomos and all the achievements of church independence."

On 13 May, Filaret admitted a split is possible inside the OCU.

The Assembly of bishops to revise the tomos needs either to be convoked by the primate (Epiphanius), the Holy Synod of the OCU, or 1/3 of the total of the bishops of the OCU. Filaret maybe aimed for the third option. BBC Ukraine said that Filaret could possibly count on the support of , who had been forced by Filaret to give up his candidacy at the unification council, and is very influential within the OCU.

The assembly of 14–15 May was seen as the first stage to revise the charter, as a "parade of forces" to see how many bishops would support revising the charter. However, only 4 bishops came, and Mykhayil did not come. Mykhayil was in Vinnitsia to help Metropolitan Simeon.

During Filaret's sermon on 14 May he said: "We will continue to fight for a single local Orthodox Church, independent of Moscow, or from Constantinople". Still on 14 May, a rally to support the unity of the OCU took place outside of Filaret's residence; the rally had been organized by the public organization Corps of Defenders of the Revolution of Dignity. On the same day, in an interview given to Interfax-Ukraine, Epiphanius said there was "no schism".

Filaret's appeal On 14 May 2019, Filaret published an appeal. In his appeal he said the OCU faced "separation, diarchy, which can lead to sad consequences". He added:

He also said in his appeal that the Kyiv Patriarchate "was and will be", Filaret also said that giving up the status of patriarchate was a demand of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in order for the Ecumenical Patriarchate to grant a tomos to a Metropolis which was part of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Filaret said that therefore "giving up on the status of patriarchy was purely situational". Moreover, Filaret also said that at the next meeting of the Holy Synod of the OCU, said synod would arrange Filaret's retirement, and that "Moscow is satisfied with the state of affairs in the UOC (OCU). What they could not achieve through various efforts, they are now achieving through the actions of the OCU head."

On the same day he made a press conference, in which he said:

On an interview published on 15 May, said there will be no split and that Filaret's holy synod reforms were not supported.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew told BBC Ukraine on 15 May that there was no patriarch of Kyiv because "there never was".