Drabinko: Filaret was promised Epiphany would be "Queen of England"
Filaret Denisenko and Epiphany Dumenko. Photo: 24.ua
The ex-metropolitan of the UOC and now "hierarch" of the OCU, Alexander Drabinko, believes that head of the UOC-KP Filaret Denisenko really only wants power and took part in the "unification council" because he was promised to have actual leadership of the newly formed structure. He said this in an interview published on the YouTube channel DROZDOV on January 6, 2021.
Commenting on the role of the head of the UOC-KP Filaret in receiving the Tomos, Drabinko stressed that “the granting of the Tomos is not his merit”.
“To be honest, in my opinion, he (Filaret) was promised that he would actually lead the church, while Vladyka Epiphany would be the ‘Queen of England’, i.e. he would only perform representative functions abroad,” he explained.
The "hierarch" of the OCU clarified that if these promises were fulfilled, he would not have gone to the "unification council".
“Filaret wants only power – well, I'm sorry to say so. The same story happened in 1992. ...> At that time, he was "dismissed" from the post of primate of the Ukrainian Church, and if he had been worried about the independence of the Ukrainian Church, if he had wanted a full-fledged autocephaly, all this could have been done back in 1992-93. ...> He should have stayed in the Church rather than cheated everyone that ‘Here I am’ and ‘I begin to build something new’. We must not forget that at that time it reached the point of ecclesiological heresy, when he wanted to create almost a family of parallel Local Orthodox Churches,” Drabinko stressed.
We will remind, earlier Filaret said that Poroshenko forced him to abandon the primacy in the OCU.
Read also
SBU told Phanar many UOC bishops would join OCU in 2018, report says
According to a Phanar representative’s account, Ukrainian security services told the Constantinople delegation that many UOC representatives were prepared to attend the OCU’s “Unification Council.” In the end, only two did.
Catholic cardinal visits Ukrainian POWs during trip to Russia
During three days of consultations in Moscow, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi discussed prospects for ending the war in Ukraine.
Ukrainians help restore Serbian Orthodox church in Paris
Orthodox Ukrainians have become regular parishioners of St. Sava Church in Paris and have taken part in its restoration.
Bulgarian Church clergy and laity oppose Phanar head’s visit
More than 2,000 clergy and laity have called for the Ecumenical Patriarch’s visit to be canceled, citing disagreement with his actions and concerns that the visit could legitimize schism.
Unknown intruders break down doors at two UOC churches in Sloviansk
Archbishop Paisiy said OCU activists are suspected of breaking into the churches in Sloviansk, and police have launched an investigation.
Sviatohirsk Lavra prays for murdered monk on 40th day after death
The brethren of the Sviatohirsk Lavra held a memorial service for murdered Monk Varsonofiy, calling on the faithful to pray for the newly departed monk.