Govorun: Patriarch Bartholomew has always called UOC-KP schismatics

Epiphany Dumenko and Filaret Denisenko. Photo: glavcom.ua

On June 17, 2021, the retired cleric of the Russian Orthodox Church, Archimandrite Kirill (Govorun), said that Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople has always considered the UOC-KP a schismatic structure.

In an interview with journalist Saken Armurzaev, Govorun said that the Kyiv Patriarchate was from the very beginning a "schismatic structure" that did not recognize its "schismatic character".

“But Patriarch Bartholomew and other hierarchs and primates of other Churches have been saying that it was a really schismatic structure,” said Govorun.

As reported, on May 27, 2019, on the patron’s day of the head of the OCU Epiphany Dumenko, the "right hand of the Ecumenical Patriarch", Metropolitan Amphilochios (Stergiou) of Adrianople, approached Philaret Denisenko to greet him on behalf of Patriarch Bartholomew.

“I convey to you greetings from the Ecumenical Patriarch. He respects and loves you very much,” the Phanar hierarch addressed the “Honorary Patriarch” of the OCU.

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