Russian Church concerned about Constantinople meeting with Ukrainian schismatics

Moscow, March 30, 2017

Photo: Pravoslavie.ru Photo: Pravoslavie.ru
    

The head of the Moscow Synodal Department for External Church Relations (DECR) Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk has expressed concern over the fact that the Patriarchate of Constantinople receives representatives of schismatic Ukrainian church communities.

“We fully respect the Ecumenical Patriarch, and do not consider it necessary to comment on what political actors he meets with. But when schismatic pseudo-hierarchs appear at the Phanar, it cannot but grieve us,” the metropolitan said in an interview with the Romfea Church news agency, posted on the DECR website.

The hierarch noted that these men publish photographs of their meetings with hierarchs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and report the content of their talks. “Of course, we don’t know how reliably they report what was said during the meetings, but if we believe these men, then in the Phanar they support them and promise to create a unified Local Church in Ukraine, by separating from the Russian Orthodox Church,” Met. Hilarion stated.

He emphasized that they do not want to believe this information in the Russian Church.

“Many times we have heard from the mouth of the Ecumenical Patriarch his solid assurance that he considers the only canonical Church in Ukraine to be the Ukrainian Orthodox Church with His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry at the head. For us, these assurances of His Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew are the basis on which we build our relationship with the Patriarchate of Constantinople,” said the department head.

As earlier reported, Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada appealed to Patriarch Bartholomew to issue a tomos of autocephaly for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and to abolish the 1686 act whereby the Church in Ukraine was joined to the Moscow Patriarchate. Constantinople left this appeal unanswered. President Petro Poroshenko and other Ukrainian politicians have repeatedly advocated for the establishment of an autocephalous Ukrainian Orthodox Church, separated from the Moscow Patriarchate.

3/30/2017

See also
Patriarch Bartholomew tells Ukrainian PM that Constantinople will help build single Church in Ukraine Patriarch Bartholomew tells Ukrainian PM that Constantinople will help build single Church in Ukraine Patriarch Bartholomew tells Ukrainian PM that Constantinople will help build single Church in Ukraine Patriarch Bartholomew tells Ukrainian PM that Constantinople will help build single Church in Ukraine
“We pray that the Ukrainian people would be united in one Church. The Mother Church of Constantinople will help you find such a united Church,” His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew told Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman during a meeting in the offices of the patriarchate in Constantinople on March 15. Report of “Kiev Patriarchate” meeting with Constantinople reps called into question Report of “Kiev Patriarchate” meeting with Constantinople reps called into question Report of “Kiev Patriarchate” meeting with Constantinople reps called into question Report of “Kiev Patriarchate” meeting with Constantinople reps called into question
According to media reports, including the Greek source Amen.gr, Met. Emmanuel was not in the Phanar on January 12, but was in fact participating in the Fifth European Orthodox-Catholic Forum in Paris from January 5 to 12. Constantinople metropolitans met with “Kiev Patriarchate” schismatics Constantinople metropolitans met with “Kiev Patriarchate” schismatics Constantinople metropolitans met with “Kiev Patriarchate” schismatics Constantinople metropolitans met with “Kiev Patriarchate” schismatics
Both sides exchanged views on the current state of Orthodoxy in Ukraine during the long meeting, with the “Kiev Patriarchate” representatives stressing their “church’s” official recognition of the decisions of June 2016’s Crete Council assembled by the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Comments
Joseph Bell4/4/2017 7:51 am
Perhaps if the Moscow Patriarch had attended the great council as they had agreed to the Ecumenical Patriarch would have the incentive to be more accommodating in the situation in Ukraine. Brothers and sisters we need discernment and understanding, not reactionary politics and isolationism. Again, discernment is required here. The reactionary and ecumenist are equally as guilty. The real work takes place with an Orthodoxy that is true and not of this world, that engages an antithetical world that clamors for our crucifixion. Any lesser attitude by the church is a capitulation. I am embarrassed by this generation's treatment of the church like it is their private property. You pay money and then expect the Holy Spirit. It is an attitude of greed. Fine, if you are an ascetic, go and aquire the Holy Spirit. You will only do so, however as part of the church that is, "the body of Christ," a body that was crucified then resurrected.
Paok3/30/2017 10:24 pm
They can not afford another failed council, so they will do all they can to “remove” the obstacles by any means necessary in the spirit of the globalists, gnostics and freemasons. Stay strong Holy Russia, and please please get ready to do what is necessary to preserve the Holy Faith even if it means cleaning house and condemning P.B. I say that Russia should make the first move and condemn him before he cleans house and gets his revenge. They (the gloablists) do not stop until they are either stopped by us or they accomplish their goals! Remember the lesson of Serbia. They replaced a holy and Orthodox Patriarch (Pavle) with the ecumenist and globalists they have in Serbia today. Georgia, Bulgaria, Antioch and Russia- beware! Stop being naive! These people cannot stop until they do their master’s bidding, by ANY MEANS NECESSARY!
Paok3/30/2017 10:24 pm
We should all come to terms with the fact that P. Bartholemew is an ineffective tool of the globalists, and he will not stop trying to bring their will upon us. This meeting with the false hierarchs from Ukraine should only underscore what manner of person he is and what spirit is in him. Lets stop giving such a man respect and dignity that he does not deserve. You should expect a lot worse things from this man and his agents in the future. Remember that recently a priest from Georgia tried to murder the holy and Orthodox Patriarch of Georgia as well as his secretary. Why? Who sent him? Who would they like to place in the seat of the Patriarchate of Georgia instead of the holy Iliya?
Paok3/30/2017 10:23 pm
With all due respect to Metropolitan Hilarion, I have to ask a few questions- What did you expect? Did you really believe that P. Bartholemew will behave in the spirit of the holy fathers and reject liars and schismatics? Did you really believe that the man who sits on the seat of the EP, yet takes orders from Washington and Mr. Erdogon himself would dare to do anything other than what he is commanded to do by the deep state that runs the USA? Does not Patriarch Batholemew and the despicable, filthy and godless pseudo-hierarchs from the Ukraine have the same father and master (i.e. the US deep state, NATO and the globalists)?
Philip Mugadizi 3/30/2017 6:18 pm
Such actions might make the orthodox church to separate more.
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