Serbian hierarch on OCU: For us, this is not a Church

Bishop Stefan of Remesiana, Vicar of the Serbian Patriarch. Photo: Metropolitan Anthony's Facebook page

Bishop Stefan of Remesiana of the Serbian Orthodox Church, who participated in the celebrations of the UOC on the occasion of the 1033rd anniversary of the Baptism of Rus’, said in an interview with the “1Kozak” channel that the OCU religious organization created by Patriarch Bartholomew is not a Church. “We are aware of (the OCU – Ed.), but we do not pay attention to it because for us this is not a Church, just not a Church,” said the Sebian hierarch.

Commenting on the raider seizures of churches by activists of the OCU in Ukraine, Bishop Stefan of Remesiana noted that if similar events did not occur with the churches of the SOC in Montenegro, it would be difficult for him to believe what is happening. “If we didn’t have a similar situation in Montenegro, we would not believe that this can happen in the 21st century, especially when the West talks about democracy,” said Bishop Stefan. The Serbian hierarch called the attempts of the Ukrainian authorities to rename the UOC the influence of the West: “In Montenegro they also wanted that, but it turned out later that the President lost the elections. No jokes with the Church and the Lord, it is necessary (to act – Ed.) not through laws, but through prayer and council. I think it's Western influence."

The Serbian hierarch characterizes the actions of Patriarch Bartholomew in Ukraine and in the world in recent years as those in which there is no spirit of Orthodoxy. The bishop of the SOC considers the fact of the invitation of the head of the Phanar by Vladimir Zelensky non-canonical. “Who invited Bartholomew? Zelensky? I know that when the Pope is invited, he is the President of the Vatican State. But we, Orthodox Christians, have it in a different way, the heads of the Local Churches invite each other. So from the very beginning it is contrary to the canons. It is a pity that it happened, Patriarch Bartholomew is a very charismatic person, but I know that for the last 5 years (his actions – Ed.) have not had the spirit of Orthodoxy,” resumed the hierarch of the Serbian Church.

As reported, the Serbian hierarch believes that the situation in Kyiv is dangerous for other Local Churches as well.

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