ROC: Phanar's actions can result in a schism exceeding Great Schism of 1054

Patriarchate Bartholomew of Constantinople

The schism in global Orthodoxy caused by non-canonical Ukrainian autocephaly can be compared, and perhaps, even exceeds the Great Schism of 1054, Secretary for Inter-Orthodox Affairs of the DECR Protopriest Igor Yakimchuk told Interfax-Religion.  

"It is necessary to understand that much more people than in XI century will participate in the schism, considering how the population has grown since then. So, the scale and drama of this schism will be much sharper," said the clergyman. 

The ROC representative noted that the history proves that after the breakup in the eucharistic communication between Churches, this abyss tends to grow, events of both world and domestic history witness to it: the old rite schism of the 17th century "is not healed, and nobody knows how to heal it."

"Such schisms easily appear, but it is difficult to overcome them and here we can deal with a deep schism as there are millions of believers, thousands of churches and parishes in Ukraine," the priest said. 

According to him, the Moscow Patriarchate "will spare no effort to protect its parishioner," as "violence and chaos are real."

It was earlier reported that on September 7 Patriarchate of Constantinople appointed two exarchs in Kiev as part of preparations to grant autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine. The Moscow Patriarchate considered this step Constantinople as intruding to its canonical territory.

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