ROC priest: Phanar’s canonical consciousness is undergoing degradation

Archpriest Andrei Novikov. Photo: mk.ru

On May 14, 2021, Archpriest Andrei Novikov, a member of the Synodal Biblical and Theological Commission of the Russian Orthodox Church, stated that the "canonical consciousness" of the Patriarchate of Constantinople "is undergoing degradation."

The official website of the Russian Orthodox Church published the work of Archpriest Andrei Novikov "The IV Ecumenical Council and the theory of ‘Eastern papism’", in which the author noted that "the damaged dogmatic and canonical consciousness of Phanariotic theology is undergoing some evolution, or, better to say, degradation, expanding the alleged rights of the Patriarch not only in terms of handling appeals, but in general passing any court decisions in relation to the episcopate and ordinary clergy of all Orthodox Churches."

The priest points out that the claims of Phanar are based on the misreading of the acts of the IV Ecumenical or Chalcedonian Council (451), and it is for this reason that “it becomes necessary to linger more scrupulously and thoroughly on the analysis of those acts and decisions of the IV Ecumenical Council, which are made use of to justify the doctrine of the Eastern papacy."

The author emphasizes that "some of the Chalcedonian canons and controversial situations presented to the Council were later used by Phanar as arguments substantiating the authority of the Patriarch of Constantinople in the Ecumenical Church."

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that Patriarch Bartholomew again announced the special privileges of Phanar.

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