Cherkassy, Ukraine, December 23, 2021
Photo: spzh.news
Patriarch Bartholomew already realized a long time ago that he made a serious mistake in Ukraine, but he can’t admit it without losing face.
However, not all Greek hierarchs follow the Greek nationalism party line that inspired the Patriarch’s invasion of Ukrainian Church territory, His Eminence Metropolitan Theodosy of Cherkassy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church says in a recent interview with 112ua.tv.
Met. Theodosy first highlights that Pat. Bartholomew’s actions brought nothing positive in Ukraine, as the Church warned him about in advance.
On the one hand, His Eminence is pessimistic that the schism will be overcome anytime soon, because Pat. Bartholomew didn’t act only behalf of himself, but as a representative of the self-understanding that the Patriarchate of Constantinople has been developing over the past century.
“This position is so ingrained in their Church and in part of the hierarchy of the Greek Churches that simply changing personalities won’t heal the schism,” he lamented.
On the other hand, the Metropolitan is optimistic, because everything that is happening has been permitted by God, and we simply don’t see or understand how the Lord is preparing to heal the Church and bring it back to unity.
And although Constantinople’s self-understanding is deeply ingrained, at the same time, there are many hierarchs of the Greek Churches today who understand that Pat. Bartholomew’s schism is a schism dictated by Greek nationalism—“an interpretation of the ancient Orthodox canons in the context of modern Greek Hellenic nationalism.”
As an example, Met. Theodosy recalls a story about one very well-known and respected Greek hierarch, which he heard from an eyewitness.
Meeting with his fellow Greek bishops recently, this hierarch asked: “Brothers, are you for the purity of Orthodoxy or for the purity of Hellenism? Are you ready to stand with me for Orthodoxy or for the Hellenic truth?”
While some of the hierarchs maintained the stance that they have to stand by the Patriarch of Constantinople, thankfully, others expressed that they valued the purity of the Orthodox faith and Church unity first and foremost.
“That is, there is also a division among the Greek Church hierarchs in the Greek world; not everyone is ready to follow the path of nationalism, which splits Orthodoxy. It would seem this situation can’t be resolved from a human point of view, but everything is possible to God,” the Ukrainian hierarch emphasized.
And turning to the topic of Pat. Bartholomew himself, Met. Theodosy explained that he believes the Patriarch already realized a long time ago that he made a major tactical mistake in Ukraine, though he’s unwilling to admit it.
“Being unable to admit his mistake, he continues to call black white and white black, convincing himself that he was right, although it’s clear to the entire Orthodox world that (although the fruits of his actions are already before his eyes) no unification has happened and couldn’t have happened,” the Ukrainian hierarch explained.
“How Patriarch Bartholomew sees the situation from the window in his residence in the Phanar is very different from how we sense and understand the situation here in Ukraine, in real Church life.”
And wrapping up the topic of Constantinople, Met. Theodosy reiterated: “I think Patriarch Bartholomew has already fully realized his tactical mistake, but can’t admit it, so as not to lose his authority. This happens, unfortunately, with proud people.”
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