Primate of the Church of Antioch: Recognition of OCU is unwarrantable

His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Great Antioch and All East. Photo: pravoslavie.ru

The Primate of Antioch Orthodox Church, His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Great Antioch and All East has always believed that the recognition of the OCU by the heads of the Greek and Alexandrian Orthodox Churches is unacceptable and regrettable. He said this on December 5, 2019, at a meeting with the representative of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia to the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, hegumen Arseny (Sokolov), at the headquarters of the Antiochian Patriarchate in Damascus, reports the ROC DECR website.

During a lengthy conversation, the parties discussed a wide range of topics, including the current agenda of inter-Orthodox relations.

As far as the current state of inter-Orthodox relations is concerned, His Beatitude Patriarch John underscored that his position on the actions of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Ukraine has not changed as these actions have no canonical grounds. He believes that the recognition of the so-called Orthodox Church in Ukraine by the heads of the Churches of Greece and Alexandria is unwarrantable and deplorable.

We recall that earlier Patriarch John X of Antioch and All East stated that the Phanar’s actions in Ukraine were harmful to Orthodoxy, and political factors lie behind the schism in Ukraine.

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