Filaret is ready to meet with Phanar head but only as patriarch

The head of the liquidated UOC-KP Filaret Denisenko. Photo: RIA Novosti

The head of the liquidated UOC-KP would be glad to meet with Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople when he arrives in Ukraine but only as “Patriarch of Kyiv”, said Filaret Denisenko in a comment to the TG channel PavlovskyNews.

He noted that he had not received an invitation from representatives of the authorities to the celebrations dedicated to the 30th anniversary of Ukraine's Independence, but he would gladly take part in them if he were invited.

Filaret was also not invited to the service which Patriarch Bartholomew will conduct at the St Sophia of Kyiv together with the head of the OCU.

He told reporters that he supports the visit of the Phanar head to Ukraine and would be glad to meet with him but only as “the Patriarch of Kyiv”.

“We will not take part in the divine service with him (Patriarch Bartholomew – Ed.) But not because we do not want to but because he does not invite us to this service. More precisely, it is not Bartholomew who does not invite us but Metropolitan Epiphany. The meeting does not depend on us but on Patriarch Bartholomew, if he wants to meet with me as the Patriarch of Kyiv, I will be very happy. But I doubt that he will have such a desire,” summed up Denisenko.

As reported, during the service with the Phanar head at St. Sophia’s Cathedral, the OCU “priests” were forbidden to wear mitres and had to have identity documents with them.

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