Filaret: Head of Phanar can't settle for primacy of honor, he needs power

The head of the liquidated UOC-KP Filaret Denisenko. Photo: screenshot of the video of Ukraine 24 youtube channel.

Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople cannot settle for primacy of honor in Orthodoxy, he wants to have real power, the head of the UOC-KP Filaret Denisenko said on the air of Ukraine 24 channel.

To showcase his words, Filaret cites the example of the Tomos of the OCU, issued by the head of the Phanar. It spelled out the operation of this organization only within the borders of Ukraine, while the Diaspora in Europe and the United States was thus supposed to get to Patriarch Bartholomew. “Tomos is not good for the Ukrainian church because it limits its activities to the borders of Ukraine,” said the head of the UOC-KP. “And therefore, the name was given not to the UOC, but to the OCU, i.e. you have authority only within the borders of Ukraine; however, beyond the borders of Ukraine, Ukrainians are subordinate not to the OCU, but to the Patriarch of Constantinople, which is enshrined in the Tomos."

Filaret believes that the Ukrainian Diaspora does not agree to submission to Phanar and does not hence recognize Sergei (Epiphany) Dumenko as its head, but remains with the Kyiv Patriarchate. “The Ukrainian Diaspora is unwilling to obey the Patriarch of Constantinople, whereas Epifaniy, in accordance with the Tomos, has no right to incorporate the Ukrainian Diaspora into his church,” said the head of the UOC-KP. Therefore, it belongs to the Kyiv Patriarchate in Europe, USA, Australia and Latin America."

As reported by the UOJ, Filaret said that the "hierarchs" of the OCU are "not positive" about Epifaniy. 

Read also