“The Patriarchate of Constantinople’s persistence in granting autocephaly to Ukrainian schismatics has led to these sad and unfortunate results,” the Greek hierarch believes.
Kythira, Greece, September 17, 2018
His Eminence Metropolitan Seraphim of Kythira of the Greek Orthodox Church has appealed to His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, calling on him to cease his communication with Ukrainian schismatics and to thereby avoid the inevitable new schisms that Constantinople’s actions will cause, reports Romfea.
The metropolitan reminded the patriarch of the words of the holy hierarch St. John Chrysostom: “The sin of schism is not purged even by martyr’s blood,” calling on him to offer repentance for his actions.
“Now, for his own personal reasons, he is giving autocephaly to the schismatics of Ukraine and revising the sacred order and canonical Orthodox Archdiocese of Ukraine, which is recognized not only by the Russian Orthodox Church, but also by all other local Orthodox churches,” the hierarch’s document reads.
“Schismatics, as we know, are not the Church, and communion with them is forbidden by the Divine and holy canons and the Apostolic and Ecumenical Councils. Why then this persistence of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in recognizing schismatics as an autocephalous Church? To provoke schisms and divisions in the one universal and Apostolic Church of Christ?” Met. Seraphim writes in his statement.
He noted that he was “deeply saddened” when he heard that the Moscow Patriarchate was ceasing commemoration of the Ecumenical Patriarch and concelebration with its bishops. He also reminded the Ecumenical Patriarch that until recently, he only recognized the canonical Church under His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine.
The Ecumenical Patriarchate sent two exarch bishops to Kiev recently, tasked with dealing with Ukraine’s two schismatic bodies to make a new body that it then plans to grant autocephaly to. The canonical Church in Ukraine and the Russian Church have strongly objected to this canonical infraction, and the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church resolved on Friday that His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia would suspend commemoration of Pat. Bartholomew in the Liturgy, that Russian bishops would not serve with Constantinople bishops, and that the Russian Church is pulling out of any organizations chaired or co-chaired by hierarchs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
“The Patriarchate of Constantinople’s persistence in granting autocephaly to Ukrainian schismatics has led to these sad and unfortunate results,” the Greek hierarch believes.
“With a fervent prayer and a plea from the depths of his heart,” Met. Seraphim appeals “from the remote corners of our Greek Motherland” to Pat. Bartholomew “to stop, in order to avoid schisms and divisions.”
He also noted that many problems were provoked by 2016’s Crete Council and said that he is praying for the Church to cope with the spiritual and avoid these painful consequences for the unity of the Orthodox flock.
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