After the 9–11 October 2018 synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, Filaret was reinstated and it was decided to grant autocephaly to a unified church in Ukraine. The Kyiv Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church planned to merge with pro-independence Moscow Patriarchate bishops into an independent (autocephalous) Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. The ecumenical patriarchate's move has only been recognized by the Churches of Greece and Alexandria, and not by the other autocephalous churches; the Serbian and Polish Orthodox churches have refused to recognise Constantinople's reinstatement of the UOC-KP, and forbidden their clergy from celebrating with them. On 20 June 2019, a small number of Pro-Filaret UOC (former UOC-KP) members—including Filaret—left the OCU after a local UOC-KP council.