Filaret Denysenko, a Ukrainian Orthodox hierarch and patriarch of Kyiv since 1995, died on March 20, 2026.
Born Mykhailo Antonovych Denysenko on January 23, 1929, he served as the primate and Patriarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church–Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC–KP). The Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which he left in 2019, regarded him as Honorary Patriarch emeritus, while the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople recognized him as a former Metropolitan of Kyiv.
Patriarch Filaret (secular name Mykhailo Antonovych Denysenko; Ukrainian: Михайло Антонович Денисенко; 23 January 1929 – 20 March 2026) was a Ukrainian religious leader, serving as the primate and Patriarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church–Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC–KP). The Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), which he left in 2019, viewed him as the Honorary Patriarch emeritus, while the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople recognized him as a former Metropolitan of Kyiv.