PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW: OUR DUTY IS TO RETURN KIEV AND SKOPJE TO CANONICAL ORDER AND TRUTH
The ecumenical patriarchate faces the obligation and responsibility to return the peoples of Ukraine and Macedonia to the truth and canonical framework of the church. Patriarch Bartholomew declared this on the day of his patron saint, 11 June, during the liturgy in the patriarchal church of St. George on the Phanar.
"The existence of schism is not an argument that deprives a whole people of ties with church truth and canonicity, denying our responsibility before God and history; on the contrary, it is rather a stimulus for seeking saving and unifying decisions," the Orthodox first hierarch said.
"When the Mother-Church seeks the path of salvation of our brothers from Ukraine and Skopje (Macedonia—ed.), it fulfills its apostolic duty. Our obligation and responsibility is to bring these peoples back to church truth and canonical order. Therefore what the ecumenical patriarchate adheres to, it adheres to for the welfare of the whole world and provides for all peoples without exception. In this context there also exists an inter-Christian dialogue, which acts 'in love and truth,'" the ecumenical patriarch noted.
We recall that representatives of the Ukrainian government and church appealed to the ecumenical patriarch with a request to grant a tomos concerning the autocephaly of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Patriarch Filaret and the president hope that the Ukrainian question will be resolved positively by Constantinople by the time of the celebration of the 1030th anniversary of the baptism of Rus-Ukraine.
As RISU has already reported, on 30 May the Constantinople patriarchate took into consideration the appeal of the premier of Macedonia, Zoran Zaev, requesting the resolution of the fate of the Macedonian church. In the opinion of experts, Patriarch Bartholomew most likely will consider the Macedonian question along with the Ukrainian question. (tr. by PDS, posted 16 June 2018)
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