Moscow Patriarchate does not confirm Shostatsky's statement on autocephaly

The building of the Moscow Patriarchate in Moscow. Photo: pravoslavie.ru

Employees of the Moscow Patriarchate responded to a request from the UOJ, saying that they did not confirm the words of ex-Metropolitan Simeon (Shostatsky), who stated that he "constantly spoke about autocephaly in Moscow".

In the last interview to the “RISU” agency, the current “hierarch” of the OCU stated that he had always been fascinated by the idea of autocephaly of the Ukrainian Church, and while still a member of the UOC, he repeatedly spoke about this everywhere, including at Councils in Moscow.

“I wrote to the Patriarch, I constantly spoke about autocephaly both in Moscow and in Kyiv,” Shostatsky said. “I went (to the "Unification Council" – Ed.) for ideological convictions! Although I was also reproached that before that I had not spoken or campaigned for autocephaly. I will answer such people: let the transcripts of the Councils be opened to you (especially in Moscow – all speeches are recorded there), then it will become clear that I said there, too.

The UOJ sent a request to the Moscow Patriarchate with a request to confirm the words of the ex-metropolitan of the UOC. They said that they had checked all the available archives, but they could not find any statements by Shostatsky on the topic of autocephaly.

“According to the available protocols, Metropolitan Simeon (Shostatsky): at the Bishops' Council 2013, spoke on the document“ On the position of the Church in connection with the development of technologies for recording and processing personal data ”; was absent from the Council 2016; at the Council 2017 spoke several times on topics related to marriage law”.

Earlier ex-Metropolitan Simeon said that his conscience did not allow him to stay in the UOC.
 

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