Phanar thinks allegations of taxing OCU are insulting

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. Photos from open sources

Nothing can break the powerful spiritual bond that has been preserved for centuries between the Mother Church of Constantinople and its daughter, OCU. This is stated by the head of the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s Public Relations Office Nikos Papachristos, published in response to the recently reported information about the “tax for Tomos”, levied by Phanar on each parish of the OCU.

The UOJ offers a translation of the statement of the Director of the press service of Constantinople, published by the Ecumenical Patriarchate on its Facebook page.

"Statements or any information originating from any person that the Ecumenical Patriarchate allegedly required or received, or demands any kind of reward, financial or otherwise, from political or ecclesiastical figures for granting the Tomos on autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine are absolutely false, unfounded and slanderous. At the same time, such allegations are also very offensive to the Mother Church of Constantinople, from which the other nine Local Churches, including Moscow, received their autocephaly under the same or similar circumstances,” the statement reads.

The head of the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s Public Relations Office referred to the recent speech of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew concerning the bestowal of autocephaly to the OCU, in which he noted: “a relevant ecclesiological response given by the Ecumenical Patriarchate was and has always stemmed from the Gospel-inspired age-old tradition of the Church, while respecting the sacred canons free from any political and diplomatic pressure. Indeed, it needs to be clarified in the light of accusations and misinformation, popular fake news spread on the Internet and used against the canonical rights of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.”

“We also remind all those interested that on January 6, 2019, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew handed over the Tomos on Autocephaly to His Beatitude Epiphany, Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine, Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, established by virtue of the Unification Council on December 15, 2018. From that day on, the new Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine is completely self-governing and has absolute freedom to manage its internal affairs at its own discretion in accordance with the decisions of its Sacred Synod. Her relationship with the First Throne / First Holy Church of Constantinople is the relationship between the Mother and Daughter, a powerful spiritual connection that has been preserved for centuries, from the time of the Baptism of St. Vladimir to this day. It is the communion never to be destroyed, no matter how much some have tried and continue to try to do it, obviously for their own purposes, since the Mother Church of Constantinople always, with sacrificial spirit and self-denial, takes care of all its spiritual children,” stressed in Ecumenical Patriarchate.

As the UOJ reported, earlier the UOC Chancellor, Metropolitan Anthony of Borispol and Brovary, in his interview spoke about the “tax on Tomos” levied by Constantinople on each parish of the OCU. The rectors of the OCU temples also report about the mandatory “contribution” to Phanar.

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