ROCOR to publish book on Phanar's interference in Ukrainian Church affairs

Holy Trinity Seminary, Jordanville. Photo: a collage by UOJ

A book about the Ukrainian schism will be published by the Holy Trinity Monastery in the American city of Jordanville. The author of the book, the abbot of the famous Kykkos Monastery in Cyprus, Metropolitan Nikiforos, believes that the uncoordinated actions of Constantinople brought down the already shaky religious peace in Ukraine. They cannot be explained by political motives alone.

The Cypriot bishop is convinced that the conflict is based on contradictions in the doctrine of the Church. As the website of the publishing house writes in the annotation to the monograph, "the promotion of the new ecclesiology by the Phanar distorts the traditional understanding of the Orthodox Church as headed by Christ Himself".

Expressing reverence for the historical place of the Primate of Constantinople in the family of Local Orthodox Churches, the author hopes that he will turn from the dangerous course of asserting his exclusiveness.

The only way to heal from endless schisms is to return to the form of inter-Orthodox relations that respects both conciliarity and hierarchy.

Metropolitan Nikiforos of Kykkos and Tellyria is one of the most respected hierarchs of the Cypriot Church, a scholar and a theologian. In recognition of his ecclesiastical, social and cultural activities, the Athens City Hall presented him with the highest award – the Golden Key of the City. Vladyka is one of those who disagreed with the recognition of the OCU by the Church of Cyprus.

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