DECR MP: "Priesthood" of OCU are Phanar-legitimized impostors

Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev). Photo: 24tv.ua

The "priests" of the OCU are impostors legitimized by Phanar, and it is up to Phanar to deal with what is happening with these "priests". The head of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate (DECR MP), Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk, said this in the Church and World program on July 10.

When asked whether the Metropolitan can respond to the “priest” of the OCU, who publicly insulted people at a concert in honor of the 25th anniversary of the Constitution of Ukraine, as well as for other representatives of this structure who resort to hate speech, the hierarch recalled the Church’s official position on the OCU.

“We have one very simple answer, which we officially voice: these are not priests, these are lay people, people who have put on priestly vestments, who have declared themselves priests. There are also those who have proclaimed themselves bishops and metropolitans, but they do not have canonical ordination. Therefore, they are not priests. These are impostors, who illegally appropriated the priesthood and were subsequebtly legitimized by Constantinople,” stated Metropolitan Hilarion.

At the same time, from the Phanar's point of view, he added, "this 'gentleman' who speaks in such a manner is a priest."

“I think, since Constantinople is now the supreme arbiter for this so-called ‘Church of the OCU’, it’s probably up to Constantinople to deal with everything there. It has nothing to do with us, canonical Orthodoxy. Let me reiterate it: this is not a priest at all,” stressed the head of the DECR MP.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that the OCU cleric, “who is concerned about Ukraine,” insulted the residents of Volnogorsk from the stage.

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