PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW DECLARES THAT HE WILL NOT GIVE UP HIS INTENTION TO GRANT AUTOCEPHALY TO THE CHURCH IN UKRAINE
As reported by the publication fanarion.blogspot.com, on 23 September Patriarch Bartholomew, conducting the divine liturgy in the church of St. Phocas [of Sinope—tr.] in Istanbul, proclaimed that he has sent to everybody a message that in the near future Ukraine will receive autocephaly, inasmuch as he has this right.
Taking advantage of the presence of a Czech theologian at the divine liturgy, the patriarch noted the following: "The Church of Czechia and Slovakia is the youngest of all the other autocephalous churches, which the ecumenical patriarchate proclaimed in 1998. Now Ukraine's turn has come, which I hope will receive the status of autocephaly in the near future, despite existing barriers, and this will happen inasmuch as it has this right.
"On one hand, this is its exclusive right to receive [such] status of autocephaly. On the other hand, the right to grant [this] status of autocephaly belongs exclusively to our ecumenical patriarchate, as this has happened with all new Orthodox churches, beginning with Russia in the 16th century and concluding with the church of Chechia and Slovakia, of which I already spoke earlier."
"Threats do not frighten us. As I recently noted in one of my speeches, the ecumenical patriarchate does not threaten and does not find itself under threat. However, fulfilling the sacred canons, [the ecumenical patriarchate] consistently continues such granting [of autocephaly] on its part, and also adheres to the privileges that were granted to it by the ecumenical councils. We will not betray these canons and privileges of the ecumenical councils, which were granted [to us] by these councils, as the primary see church of Constantinople. We respect and observe these canons, and we also will implement them, both in the case of Ukraine and in any other case where it will be necessary," Bartholomew I declared. (tr. by PDS, posted 24 September 2018)
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