▁as ▁legit imate ▁and ▁that ▁their ▁respective ▁leaders ▁were ▁not ▁recognized ▁as ▁prim ates ▁of ▁their ▁churches . ▁The ▁E c umen ical ▁Patri arch ate ▁declared ▁that ▁it ▁recognized ▁the ▁sacr aments ▁performed ▁by ▁the ▁U OC - K P ▁and ▁the ▁U A OC ▁as ▁valid . ▁The ▁ 1 1 ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁decision ▁of ▁the ▁E c umen ical ▁Patri arch ate ▁was ▁viewed ▁as ▁a ▁key ▁step ▁towards ▁those ▁two ▁organizations ▁mer ging ▁into ▁a ▁single ▁church ▁independent ▁from ▁Moscow . ▁The ▁Russian ▁Orth odox ▁Church ▁is ▁linked ▁to ▁ 1 2 , 0 0 0 ▁par ishes ▁in ▁Ukraine ▁while ▁the ▁K iev ▁Patri arch ate ▁and ▁U A OC ▁had ▁about ▁ 6 , 0 0 0 ; ▁however , ▁it ▁was ▁believed ▁that ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁Russian - control led ▁Ukrain ian ▁par ishes ▁may ▁defect ▁to ▁the ▁K iev ▁organizations . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Fil aret , ▁he ▁would ▁und ou bt edly ▁be ▁the ▁winner ▁in ▁case ▁of ▁an ▁election ▁of ▁the ▁leader ▁of ▁a ▁un ited ▁Ukrain ian ▁Church ▁" because ▁Moscow ▁will ▁do ▁everything ▁to ▁destroy ▁the ▁Ukrain ian ▁Orth odox ▁Church . ▁And ▁therefore , ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁preserve ▁the ▁Ukrain ian ▁Orth odox ▁Church ▁and ▁br ring ▁[ s ic ] ▁the ▁cause ▁to ▁the ▁end , ▁[ he ] ▁ha [ s ] ▁to ▁work ▁to ▁the ▁end ". ▁Fil aret ▁declared ▁he ▁was ▁ready ▁to ▁take ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁head ▁of ▁a ▁un ited