▁of ▁prim ate ▁of ▁the ▁O C U , ▁Ukraine ▁would ▁never ▁have ▁got ▁a ▁tom os . ▁On ▁ 2 0 ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁Fil aret ▁declared ▁concerning ▁E pi ph any : ▁" I ▁supported ▁him ▁and ▁fought ▁for ▁his ▁candid acy , ▁because ▁among ▁all ▁the ▁young ▁b ish ops ▁I ▁see ▁him ▁as ▁the ▁most ▁worthy ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁prim ate ▁of ▁the ▁Ukrain ian ▁Orth odox ▁Church ." ▁ ▁Conc ern ing ▁his ▁election , ▁Metropolitan ▁E pi phan ius ▁later ▁declared : ▁" I ▁always ▁re lied ▁on ▁the ▁will ▁of ▁God . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁I ▁introduced ▁my ▁candid acy ▁to ▁the ▁post ▁of ▁patri arch al ▁governor , ▁and ▁the ▁B ish ops ' ▁syn od ▁appointed ▁me . ▁In ▁the ▁event ▁of ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁the ▁patri arch , ▁the ▁governor ▁became ▁a ▁loc um ▁ten ens . ▁On ▁his ▁shoulder ▁was ▁the ▁responsibility ▁of ▁the ▁church ▁and ▁the ▁election ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁prim ate . ▁Since ▁that ▁time , ▁among ▁the ▁b ish ops ▁and ▁the ▁cler gy , ▁the ▁idea ▁that ▁I ▁can ▁be ▁a ▁candidate ▁for ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁Local ▁Church ▁was ▁confirmed . ▁I ▁did ▁not ▁want ▁this . ▁There ▁are ▁many ▁older ▁hier arch s ▁who ▁have ▁more ▁experience . ▁But ▁so , ▁the ▁Lord ▁bl essed ▁me ▁to ▁choose ▁my ▁candid acy . ▁For ▁me ▁it ' s ▁a ▁heavy ▁cross . ▁But ▁we ▁live ▁in ▁historical ▁time ."