Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada - Archbishop John (Theodorovych)

Archbishop John (Theodorovych)

Following Metropolitan Germanos' leadership, Archbishop John (Ioan) (Theodorovych) became the Church's Primate. Archbishop John had just arrived in the United States from the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, and he began to serve the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA to become their Primate and Metropolitan. The young Church had chosen the Ukrainian bishop as their bishop, hoping that the Church would further grow under his leadership (with his knowledge of Ukrainian traditions). During the summers from 1924 to 1946 Archbishop John would make his annual trip to Canada to visit the parishes throughout the country. When Archbishop John was in the USA during the winter months, a priest would act as an administrator at the Consistory, Semen Sawchuk.

After a few years as acting Primate of the UOCC, certain controversies laid around Archbishop John, due to his uncanonical ordination to bishop. Archbishop John was "ordained" by the "bishops" of Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, who were not ordained according to the canon laws and traditions of the Orthodox Church, but were ordained by priests and lay people. The 1st Canon of the Holy Apostles states that new bishops should be ordained by at least 2 or 3 bishops. As a result of this, Archbishop John resigned his position as ruling bishop in 1946.

At a special Sobor in 1947, Bishop Mstyslav (Skrypnyk) was accepted as the new Archbishop of Winnipeg and all Canada. However due to some misunderstandings, and arguments about how the Church should be governed (mostly between himself and Semen Sawchuk), he resigned as Primate in 1950 at Sobor X in Winnipeg. In response the UOCC contacted Metropolitan Polycarp (Sikorski) (who was the head of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church Abroad, composed of refugee bishops formerly affiliated with the Polish Orthodox Church in German-occupied Ukraine) for assistance, and he agreed to send some bishops over to help the faithful in Canada.