Kiev, December 15, 2018
The provision of autocephaly by Constantinople to a united church made up of the schismatic “Kiev Patriarchate” (KP) and the schismatic “Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church” (UAOC) became possible thanks to the efforts of foreign diplomats, explains Makary Maletich, the head of the UAOC.
Maletich, who was received into the Patriarchate of Constantinople along with his people and those of the KP on October 11, spoke of the matter on program Radar on the Ukrainian channel Newsone.
“I know it,” he says. “Diplomats met with Philaret and with me. There were ambassadors from the U.S., Great Britain, and others. The meetings were held to find out whether we are ready to receive a tomos.”
Philaret Denisenko, the head of the KP, recently awarded the former CIA Acting Director and Associate Director Jack Devine with the Order of St. Andrew for his support of Ukraine’s bid to create a national church.
As Makary also explains, the two groups could have united years ago if not for the lies and negative attitude on the part of the KP.
“What kind of attitude could we have towards them, if since 2015 Archbishop Evstraty Zorya [the Speaker for the KP—OC] and all the rest have only engaged in lying? I mean, it was declared more than ten times that the episcopate of the UAOC is ruled by Moscow!”
Makary also noted that it was actually Denisenko himself who had banned him from serving in 1989, while the latter was still the canonical head of the Ukrainian Exarchate.
For his part, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry has noted that all the groups could have united long ago it not for the interference of politicians.
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