RPTs PROTESTS BECAUSE OF BARTHOLOMEW'S APPOINTMENT OF EXARCHS IN UKRAINE
The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church issued an official declaration in which it condemned the decision by Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew to appoint two of his exarchs (representatives) in Ukraine, which is the canonical territory of the Moscow patriarchate.
"The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church (RPTs) expresses a decisive protest and profound indignation because of the communiqué by the general secretariat of the Holy Synod of the Constantinople patriarchate, published on 7 September 2018, which reports the appointment of two hierarchs of that church—Archbishop of Pamphilon Daniel (USA) and Bishop of Edmonton Ilarion (Canada)—as exarchs of the Constantinople patriarchate in Kiev," the report on the RPTs website says.
The statement notes that "this decision was made without clearing it with Patriarch of Moscow and all-Rus Kirill and Metropolitan of Kiev and all-Ukraine Onufrey and is a most crude violation of church canons that forbid bishops of one local church to intervene in the internal life and affairs of another local church."
The synod explained that the patriarch of Constantinople violated the 2nd rule of the second ecumenical council, the 20th rule of the council in Trullo, the 13th rule of the Antioch council, and the 3rd, 11th, and 12th rules of the council of Sardica. Bartholomew's decision, the statement says, also "completely contradicts the position of the Constantinople patriarchate, which is unchanged to the present, and that of Patriarch Bartholomew personally, who often declared that he recognizes His Blessedness Metropolitan Onufrey as the only canonical head of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine."
"The decision of the Constantinople patriarchate to take under review the question of granting autocephaly 'to Orthodox believers of Ukraine' was made despite the wish of the episcopate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, who unanimously spoke out in favor of preserving its essential status," the synod concluded. (tr. by PDS, posted 8 September 2018)
CONSTANTINOPLE'S ACTIONS THREATEN UNITY OF ORTHODOXY—RPTs SYNOD
The latest action by Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew threaten the unity of the entirety of world Orthodoxy and a response by the Moscow patriarchate to the appointment by Constantinople of its own exarchs (representatives) in Ukraine will follow in the very near future, a statement circulated by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church (RPTs) says.
"In justification of his intervention in the affairs of another local church, the patriarch of Constantinople cites false interpretations of historical facts and appeals to his allegedly exclusive powers, which in reality he does not possess and never possessed. These actions have turned relations between the Russian and Constantinople churches into a dead-end, and they create a real threat to the unity of the entirety of world Orthodoxy," a statement on the RPTs website notes.
The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church also warned that "the entirety of responsibility for these uncanonical actions lies personally on Patriarch Bartholomew and those persons in the Constantinople church who support them."
"Actions of response by the Moscow patriarchate will follow in the very near future," the synod declared.
On Friday, the Constantinople patriarchate reported that "within the context of preparation for granting autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine" it had appointed as its own exarchs in Kiev Archbishop of Pamphilon Daniel from the U.S.A. and Bishop of Edmonton Ilarion from Canada.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is trying to obtain recognition of uncanonical religious structures and the creation on their foundation of a united local autocephalous church in Ukraine, outside the framework of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. He previously declared that the government will not interfere in internal church affairs, but at the same time he again spoke about the necessity of autocephaly for Ukraine.
Bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UPTs) responded to this that the issue is attempts by external forces to turn the church into an essential part of geopolitics, ideology, and state security, although this contradicts the vocation of the church. The UPTs is convinced that the church should not be an instrument in the hands of the state or of political ideology, no matter where it comes from. The bishops suppose that attempts to change the status of the church in Ukraine will deepen the schism in Orthodoxy and society and will lead to restriction of its rights and liberties. (tr. by PDS, posted 8 September 2018)
Editorial disclaimer: RRN does
not intend to certify the accuracy of information
presented in articles. RRN simply intends to certify the
accuracy of the English translation of the contents of the
articles as they appeared in news media of countries of
the former USSR.
If material is quoted, please give credit to the
publication from which it came. It is not necessary to credit
this Web page. If material is transmitted electronically, please
include reference to the URL,
http://www.stetson.edu/~psteeves/relnews/.