Patriarch Kirill calls Phanar head schismatic

Patriarch Kirill. Photo: patriarchia.ru

On September 27, 2021, during the ceremony of presenting church awards to the DECR chairman, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk and his deputies, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, said that Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople has fallen into schism, reports the website of the DECR ROC.

The Primate of the Russian Church noted that “humanly we are very worried that today the Patriarch of Constantinople has fallen into schism because he received communion with schismatics and recognized the self-consecrated priests without legal ordination as canonical bishops.”

At the same time, Patriarch Kirill emphasized: "Realizing our truth, being convinced that we stand on the unshakable basis of the sacred canons, in a pastoral, human way, we must strive to overcome this difficult time in inter-Orthodox relations."

He recalled that "both in Greece and in other countries under the influence of the Patriarch of Constantinople, there are our brothers and sisters, pious monks and nuns, and it is a great sorrow for us that others suffer from the mistakes of one."

That is why, the Patriarch said, the DECR must, while remaining on principled canonical positions, "do everything to ensure that Ecumenical Orthodoxy emerges from the hard crisis it is in".

The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church recalled that each Local Orthodox Church has its own problems, and sometimes very difficult, although not as noticeable as it was, for example, in the Soviet period with the Russian Church.

“Therefore, our joint solidarity, the manifestation of love for each other is very, very important for strengthening the entire Ecumenical Orthodoxy,” concluded Patriarch Kirill.

Earlier, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church stated that Patriarch Bartholomew claims to universal power.

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