ROC believes that Council on OCU cannot be convened on Phanar’s terms

Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev). Photo: pravmir.ru

The head of the DECR of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev), believes that the meeting of the primates of the Orthodox Churches on the "Ukrainian issue" if it is convened by the Patriarch of Constantinople will be aimed at legitimizing his actions in Ukraine, which the Russian Church cannot agree to. He stated this on the air of the “Church and World” programme.

In particular, the metropolitan said: "the Patriarch of Constantinople is very determined to defend his right, which he has arrogated to himself – to convene pan-Orthodox assemblies."

However, Metropolitan Hilarion believes, “in a situation where the Patriarch of Constantinople is to blame for discord and schism, any meeting that he convenes will inevitably be aimed at legitimizing his actions. And we do not agree precisely with his actions that he committed in Ukraine”.

In this regard, the representative of the Russian Orthodox Church finds useful the initiative of the Jerusalem Patriarch Theophilos III, who invited all the primates of the Local Orthodox Churches to gather in Jordan to discuss issues of preserving pan-Orthodox unity.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that Patriarch Theophilos III invited primates of the Local Churches to discuss the issue of the OCU.

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