UOC Chancellor: Head of Phanar’s lust for power led to church schism

UOC Chancellor Metropolitan Anthony. Photo: voskrcerkov.ru

Anthony (Pakanich), Metropolitan of Boryspil and Brovary, Chancellor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, in an interview with the Look program on Russia 24 TV channel, said that pan-Orthodox unity was destroyed because of Patriarch Bartholomew's lust for power.

“There is no pan-Orthodox unity, we hope it’s temporary. And in the future we will be able to solve this most complicated issue, which arose due to the desire of Patriarch Bartholomew to rule the Orthodox world single-handedly. Everything is thrown underfoot in order to secure these plans, both church law and even conscience,” said Metropolitan Anthony.

The UOC Chancellor stated that there is a certain pressure imposed on those who do not agree with such prospects, but Vladyka is sure that the Orthodox Church will find the strength to overcome the schism.

“The Lord loves His Church and He will certainly help to resolve this crisis, we must emerge from it stronger and more united,” Metropolitan Anthony emphasized.

The hierarch of the UOC cited as an example the experience of St. Maximus the Confessor and Saint Mark of Ephesus, who in their words and deeds testified to their faithfulness to the Orthodox faith, as a result of which Orthodox truth prevailed, and church unity was restored.

“God will not abandon His Church and truth will surely prevail, this is what we deeply believe in and hope for. We are looking forward to a correct solution to the problem that exists both in the UOC and at the pan-church level,” Metropolitan Anthony assured.

As the UOJ previously reported, the ROC recalled that Phanar supported the Renovationist split in the twentieth century.

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