Phanar hierarch explains why Bartholomew commemorates ROC head in liturgy

Patriarch Bartholomew and Patriarch Kirill. Photo: EPA/UPG

Bishop of the Constantinople Patriarchate, Metropolitan Theodoritos of Laodicea, explained why Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople commemorates Patriarch Kirill of Moscow during the liturgy.

At the Paschal Meeting of the Halki Theological School, a representative of the Ecumenical See in Athens stated that "the Ecumenical Patriarch usually commemorates the Patriarch of Moscow at every liturgy".

According to him, by commemorating the Primate of the ROC, the head of the Phanar "is making a very significant gesture".

"He does not abandon him but gives him a mark of how we, Orthodox Christians, should act," he said.

As reported earlier, Epifaniy Dumenko explained to Sonia Koshkina why he commemorates Patriarch Kirill, saying that when it depended only him, he never did it, since he "didn't have any juridical prescriptions thereon". However, since he received the Tomos of Autocephaly from the hands of Patriarch Bartholomew, he has been bound, according to the canons and provisions of the Tomos, "to make a liturgical mention of each Primate of the Orthodox Church in the Dyptichs, including Patriarch Kirill".   

Also, the UOJ reported that the Ukrainian Consul-General to Istanbul, R. Nedelsky, prayed with the head of the Phanar for the health of Patriarch Kirill at the liturgy at the "old-style" Epiphany.

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