ROC Primate: Patriarch Bartholomew's intrusion in Ukraine is madness

Patriarch Kirill. Photo: patriarchia.ru

On September 27, 2021, during the church awards ceremony for Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk and his deputies, Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, declared that the Patriarch of Constantinople’s intrusion in Ukraine was madness, reports the site of the website of the DECR ROC.

According to Patriarch Kirill, one of the most important tasks facing the DECR ROC is "work to overcome the divisions in the Universal Orthodoxy caused by the Patriarch of Constantinople’s illegal, anti-canonical and, I would say, insane intrusion in Ukraine."

"I will allow myself to say so because I know Patriarch Bartholomew well – he probably acted not with his mind and against his will," the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church stressed.

At the same time, Patriarch Kirill stated that he did not accept the argument that the Patriarch of Constantinople, under external pressure, could not have acted otherwise.

“And how did we act differently, living in an atheistic state? You will not frighten us with any horror stories – we have gone through everything and have not stopped communion with any Local Orthodox Churches, which in our country at that time were often called ‘henchmen of American imperialism’. We maintained these relations, travelled to each other, and invited delegations here. Therefore, when we are told that today Patriarch Bartholomew allegedly could not have done otherwise, hinting at powerful external forces, I do not accept this argument," said Patriarch Kirill.

He also reminded that among the Patriarchs of Constantinople "there were martyrs and confessors, one of them – Patriarch Gregory – was hanged at the gates of the Patriarchate," and "Constantinople always seemed to us a stronghold of Orthodoxy".

"And we are very humanly worried that today the Patriarch of Constantinople has fallen into schism because he partook of communion with schismatics and recognized self-consecrated priests without legal ordination as canonical bishops," the Primate of the Russian Church stated.

Earlier, Patriarch Kirill called the Phanar head a schismatic.

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