UOC Spokesman says what he expects from meeting of Kirill and Bartholomew

Patriarch Kirill and Patriarch Bartholomew

During the meeting to be held in Istanbul, the ways of solving many pressing issues will be outlined with a view to strengthening inter-Orthodox unity. This was written by the deputy head of the UOC DECR, Protopriest Nikolai Danilevich, on his Facebook page.

"There are reasons to believe that for world Orthodoxy this will be a positive event that will lead to the lessened tension in relations between the Constantinople and Moscow Patriarchates, and, accordingly, will improve the entire climate of inter-Orthodox relations. I think that solutions to many pressing problems will be found or at least outlined with the ultimate goal of strengthening inter-Orthodox unity. In any case, a direct dialogue of the Heads of Churches is always better than the exchange of correspondence via the media, which we have observed so far," he stressed.

According to him, in the Orthodox world and amid the Local Orthodox Churches today, there is a universal desire for unity and consolidation, as well as solving the accumulated problems: "No one from the Local Churches is inclined to generate new splits. So are the attitudes and moods in inter-Orthodox relations today."

"Therefore, hopes of those forces that are eager to solve their problems even by means of causing a split between individual members of Ecumenical Orthodoxy are futile," Father Nikolai explained.

The Patriarchate of Constantinople confirmed that on August 31 Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill will meet with Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople.

As reported by the UOJ, the Greek ecclesiastic edition Vima Orthodoxias wrote that the Patriarchs intend to discuss the issue of granting autocephaly to the Ukrainian Church.

Earlier, the representative of the delegation of the Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew, Metropolitan Emmanuel of France mentioned in his speech at the celebrations on the occasion of the 1030th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus that the final goal of the procedures initiated at the Phanar was "granting autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church."

In mid-April, Poroshenko turned to Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople with a request to grant the Tomos on autocephaly to the Church in Ukraine and announced the creation of the Single Local Church. The Verkhovna Rada supported the President’s appeal. The Kiev Patriarchate has already stated that they see their leader Filaret, excommunicated by the canonical Church, as the head of the SLC.

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