UOC hierarch provides evidence of OCU being actually run by Phanar

Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich) of Borispol and Brovary, Chancellor of the UOC. Photo: Borispol Eparchy website

The head of the OCU, Epiphany Dumenko, apologized to the Serbian Church for the participation of the “archimandrite” of the non-canonical Church of Montenegro Boris Bojovic in the “liturgy” of the OCU on May 26, 2019 at the direction of Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, reminded the Metropolitan of Borispol and Brovary in an interview with the Internet edition "KP in Ukraine".

His Eminence Anthony said that recently the members of the new religious organization have become more and more splashy in talking about their recognition at the level of the Local Orthodox Churches. According to the hierarch of the UOC, representatives of the new church structure began to take certain actions in this direction, for example, the visit of the spokesman of the OCU, Eustraty Zoria, to Montenegro where he met withMetropolitan Amphilochios (Radovic) of Montenegro and the Littoral. 

“In order to preempt the development of the situation under an unfavorable scenario, Vladyka Amphilochios wrote to Istanbul. In turn, Patriarch Bartholomew instructed Epiphany to apologize to the head of the Montenegrin Metropolis. This was done by sending an appropriate letter during the meeting with Met. Amphilochios,” said Metropolitan Anthony.

This proves that the OCU is actually controlled by Constantinople, the UOC hierarch noted. In addition, he called another testimony of subordination of the new church structure to Phanar.

“All this indicates that the OCU is actually operated by Istanbul, although we are still made to believe in the alleged autocephaly of the OCU. By the way, another fact indicating the vassal state of the structure of Epiphany was the recent reconciliation by Constantinople of the “canonization” by the OCU of St. Luke of Crimea. For any real autocephalous church, such coordination is nonsense,” the UOC Chancellor said.

He also drew the attention of the media to the fact that during his encounter with the representative of the OCU, Metropolitan Amphilochios clearly demonstrated his attitude towards the situation in the religious life of Ukraine.

“The head of the Montenegrin Metropolis made it clear to the interlocutor that the “Ukrainian issue” should be resolved at a Pan-Orthodox Conference. Moreover, the participation of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church headed by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry is mandatory. This aspect once again shows that no breakthroughs in terms of the recognition of the OCU should be anticipated,” said Met. Anthony.

According to him, rumors about the recognition of the new church structure by the Greek Orthodox Church also do not correspond to reality.

“The Orthodox Church of Greece is under enormous pressure to recognize the so-called OCU. However, according to our information, it refused to include this issue on the agenda of its Bishops' Council to be held in October of this year,” concluded the UOC Chancellor.

Previously, he noted that it is difficult to judge the future prospects of the new religious organization, but its internal division speaks volumes. "It is difficult to judge about further prospects for "OCU", nevertheless, it is necessary to remember the words of the Lord Savior, spoken to the Pharisees:" ... any kingdom divided in itself will become empty; and any city or house divided in itself will not stand "(Matt. 12, 25). And now we can witness precisely the division within the ‘OCU’ itself,” said Metropolitan Anthony.

Read also