UOC hierarch: Met. Vladimir thought it wasn’t right time for autocephaly

Metropolitan Sofroniy (Dmitruk) of Cherkassy and Kanev. Photo: news.church.ua

Metropolitan Sofroniy (Dmitruk) of Cherkassy and Kanev said that His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir (Sabodan) repeatedly said: the time has not yet come for autocephaly of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

“Every time I met with Metropolitan Vladimir, I pressed on him, I told him (about autocephaly – Ed.),” the hierarch said. “And each time he told me: ‘Don’t be so hotheaded, the time hasn’t come yet.’"

Vladyka recalls how he asked His Beatitude Vladimir not to wait for another time because he was respected by the whole Orthodox world, and if he did something in terms of autocephaly, then “most of our bishops” would follow him. However, he received one answer to all the requests: "It is too early."

Earlier the UOJ wrote that, according to Metropolitan Sofroniy, it follows from the Statute of the OCU that Constantinople formed in Ukraine a completely Greek-controlled Church.

Read also

MP demands answers from Rivne authorities over UOC charity event

Bobrovska expressed outrage that city officials allowed the Rivne Eparchy of the UOC to hold a charity festival that raised money for children with cancer.

In U.S., Archbishop of Albania leads Divine Liturgy on Triumph of Orthodoxy

The Primate of the Albanian Church served in Massachusetts and called for visible unity among Orthodox jurisdictions.

Phanar backs common Easter date with Catholics and Protestants

Theologians of the Patriarchate of Constantinople have proposed revising calendar practice and bringing the celebration of Easter closer to the Western tradition.

DESS congratulates Ukraine’s Jews on Purim

The State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience addressed Ukraine’s Jewish community on the occasion of Purim.

Patriarch Bartholomew becomes honorary professor of ecology in Greece

The Ionian University of Greece has awarded Patriarch Bartholomew the honorary title of professor in its Department of Environment.

Phanar’s shift to new calendar triggered Orthodox schism – ROCOR hierarch

Metropolitan Mark called Constantinople’s adoption of the Gregorian calendar the main source of divisions in the Orthodox world.