Patriarch Bartholomew again asserts special privileges of Phanar

Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople. Photo: Video screenshot Formula News / YouTube

Patriarch Bartholomew again declared about the special privileges of Phanar, saying on the air of the Georgian opposition television channel TV Formula that the Patriarchate of Constantinople is the “mother church” and the coordinating center of all Orthodoxy.

He accused the ROC of an anti-canonical desire to interfere in the affairs of other Orthodox Churches, including the Georgian one, in order to become the "Third Rome". The head of Phanar believes that interference in the affairs of other Churches violates the canonical system of Orthodoxy and that the Patriarchate of Constantinople as a “mother church” is the coordinating center.

“The Orthodox Church has its own canonical system. The Mother Church as the coordinating center of Orthodoxy seeks unity. We want to love our brothers and our Churches, but we also want to observe the sacred canons,” said Patriarch Bartholomew.

When asked whether the recognition of the autocephaly of the OCU by the Georgian Patriarchate could lead to the Moscow Patriarchate granting autocephaly to the church in Abkhazia, the head of Phanar said that the ROC has no right to grant autocephaly not only to Abkhazia but to anyone in general. “It (MP – editor's note) does not have such a right. This is the exclusive prerogative of Constantinople,” said Patriarch Bartholomew.

According to the head of Phanar, the granting of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in America in 1970 by the Russian Orthodox Church is illegal. “Thus, Moscow has become the richest Orthodox community in America. However, this pseudo-autocephalous church has not yet been recognized by anyone. And yet it calls itself the Orthodox Church of America,” said Patriarch Bartholomew.

As the UOJ reported, the head of Phanar recalled the Chernobyl accident in order to explain who the Mother Church to whom is.

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