Patriarch Filaret Dies at 97: A Giant of Ukrainian Orthodoxy Passes Away.

The Life and Legacy of Patriarch Filaret

According to TSN.ua: A towering figure in the history of Ukrainian Orthodoxy, Patriarch Filaret died on March 20, 2026. Born Mykhailo Antonovych Denysenko on January 23, 1929, in the village of Blahodatne in the Donetsk region, he took monastic vows under the name Filaret in 1952 after studying at the Odesa Seminary and the Moscow Theological Academy. His ecclesiastical career began with his appointment as rector of the Kyiv Theological Seminary, a position he held from 1958 to 1962. By 1966, he had become Archbishop and Exarch of Ukraine, and in 1968, he was elevated to Metropolitan of Kyiv and Halych.

Shaping an Independent Ukrainian Church

Filaret was instrumental in forging an independent Ukrainian church. In 1990, he served as locum tenens of the patriarchal throne of the Russian Orthodox Church, and that same year, he spearheaded the creation of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church under the Moscow Patriarchate. However, in 1992, he broke away to establish the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate, a pivotal step toward Ukrainian church autocephaly. This move led to his excommunication by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1997.

A landmark unification council on December 15, 2018, marked a major milestone for Ukrainian Orthodoxy. At this event, Filaret was granted the title of Honorary Patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. In 2019, he received the title of Hero of Ukraine for his role in building an independent national church.

Filaret's final days were marked by health struggles. He was hospitalized on March 9, 2026, and died at the Feofaniya Hospital. His funeral is scheduled for March 22, 2026, closing the chapter on a church leader who left an indelible mark on Ukrainian religious history.

The death of Patriarch Filaret closes a pivotal chapter in the history of Ukrainian Orthodoxy, where he played a central role in the processes that led to the creation of an independent church. His contributions to establishing and strengthening a Ukrainian Orthodox identity will leave a lasting imprint on society. Filaret's burial will not only be a farewell to a prominent church figure but also an opportunity for Ukrainians to reflect on his legacy and the future path of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine. — Source unknown