The PCU chronically lacks priests. The problem has been recognized at the state level

The problem of lack of priests in the PCU

At the local level in Ukraine, officials and security service representatives complained that the churches left after the UOC MP or after the exposure of clergymen working for the enemy remain unaccounted for. The situation in the Kharkiv region is one of the most strained. The main reason for this is the shortage of priests in the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. By the end of 2024, there were just over 4,500 priests for 8,300 parishes. In addition, the leadership of the PCU complains about funding problems. The clergy of the PCU discussed this in a conversation with the publication 'Glavkom.'

The staffing issue in the PCU

The head of the State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience Viktor Yelensky

confirmed the existing problem of the lack of priests in the PCU. He noted that many communities transition to the PCU without priests, which is one of the main reasons for this problem. Compared to the UOC MP, the PCU needs to fill up to 70% of chaplaincy positions in the defense forces and assist refugees. Currently, it is common for churches to remain without permanent priests after communities transition to the PCU. This leads to one priest of the PCU being forced to serve several parishes, while some churches remain closed.

Religious scholar Alexander Sahan

explains that only 15-20% of priests from the UOC MP transition together with their communities to the PCU. The lack of clergy in communities that have decided to break from the Moscow Church is a significant issue. The recruitment process in theological educational institutions is unable to cover this shortage. The deputy chairman of the PCU’s Department for External Church Relations, Metropolitan Bilozerkovsky Yevstratiy Zorya, emphasized the need for military chaplains and the long process of educating clergy in the church.

The post-transition situation after the formation of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine has created the problem of a lack of priests in the newly formed church structure. This becomes an obstacle to the normal functioning of churches and the dissemination of religious services among the faithful. The situation is complicated by the fact that only a limited number of priests from the UOC MP have transitioned to the PCU, leading to a significant clergy shortage in the church community.