"MOSCOW ISSUED A CHALLENGE TO ECUMENICAL ORTHODOXY"
The deputy head of the Ukrainian presidential administration thinks that Constantinople will not yield to Moscow in the matter of Ukrainian autocephaly.
Rostislav Pavlenko, the deputy head of the administration of the president of Ukraine, explained on 24 July in an interview with Gavkom that Constantinople and the local churches know very well what really is happening in Ukraine and therefore the lie of the opponents of autocephaly will not work.
"The ecumenical patriarchate and other local churches have broad enough information about what is really happening in Ukraine. And what the opponents of autocephaly are relying upon is not anything that will work. Intimidation, pressure on hierarchs and clergy, spreading lies (in news media and through the dioceses and parishes), attempts to knock Constantinople off course toward autocephaly, collecting any letters—all of this persuades only the initiators of these actions. We have seen how the campaign to collect signatures against autocephaly failed: many priests and even bishops from the Moscow patriarchate refused to participate in it. But the main counteraction of the lie is to speak the truth. To explain what is really happening and what authority Constantinople has and how it uses it at whatever stage the process is and how other churches are concerned. Incidentally, despite the predictions and statements of opponents of autocephaly, there is no opposition on the part of the other churches. Rather there is a desire to await the official decision of the Phanar and its implementation in Ukraine, and then to arrange relations with the new church. One of the largest Orthodox churches in the world, by the way," Pavlenko emphasized.
To a journalist's statement that opponents of autocephaly are frightening with bloodshed because of the upcoming splitting of churches, Rostislav Pavlenko responded: "They always scare with this. But there is every opportunity to avoid this scenario. Ukrainians are wise and have avoided many traps set by the Russian aggression. I am sure they will avoid this also, both thanks to the actions of the government and thanks to the discretion, diligence, and tolerance of citizens. According to Ukrainian legislation, the determination of confessional affiliation is a matter of the parishes. I think after the decision on the tomos is made, many people in the provinces will determine which church they will belong to. The state will enable that this will be peaceful and voluntary. Legislation provides the answer to this. There are several alternatives, but they all are based on dialogue, particularly alternating services. Perhaps it will be necessary to introduce more precise changes in the legislation, but the foundation will remain the same." (tr. by PDS, posted 25 July 2018)
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