Hierarch of Russian Church: It was Phanar that broke off communion with UOC

Archbishop Leonid. Photo: romfea.gr

On April 25, 2021, Archbishop Leonid of Vladikavkaz and Alan of the Russian Orthodox Church, Deputy Chairman of the ROC Central Executive Committee, told the Greek newspaper Δημοκρατική who was really to blame for the rupture of the Eucharistic communion between Phanar and the Russian Church, according to Romfea.

According to him, "it is not the Russian Church that is to blame for this rift," since Phanar's supporters often try to present the Ukrainian church crisis as a conflict of jurisdiction between the two churches. However, such an interpretation is fundamentally wrong. "

The bishop stressed that the Patriarch of Constantinople and the Synod of this Church "not only established their jurisdiction in Ukraine, but also did what goes beyond Orthodox ecclesiology."

Archbishop Leonid reminded that the head of Phanar considers Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine Onuphy "illegal and temporarily having his titles", while "a group consisting exclusively of UOC dissidents and schismatics – the only canonical church in Ukraine."

Thus, Patriarch Bartholomew “replaced the Church in Ukraine with a schismatic group of this country. This is possible in the imagination, but it is impossible in the Orthodox Church," the bishop stressed.

At the same time, he stated that it was not the Russian Church that interrupted the Eucharistic communion with Phanar, but "the Patriarchate of Constantinople ceased communicating with the UOC because, in his opinion, such a Church no longer exists."

"Is it possible to imagine now that the Patriarch of Constantinople will invite Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine Onuphry to the service?" Bishop Leonid asks a rhetorical question.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that Metropolitan Nikiforos of Kykkos and Tyliria of the Cypriot Orthodox Church believes that the actions of the Patriarchate of Constantinople to grant "autocephaly" to Ukraine lead to a terrible schism.

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