He is against Moscow: Ivano-Frankivsk calls Phanar head an honorary citizen

Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople. Photo: galychyna.if.ua

On November 3, 2021, the City Council of Ivano-Frankivsk awarded Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople the title of honorary citizen of the city, according to the website of the Galychyna newspaper.

At the session of the City Council, the mayor of Ivano-Frankivsk Ruslan Martsinkiv stated that he considered it very important the creation of the OCU by the head of Phanar because the patriarch of Constantinople acted "contrary to Moscow". "This man (Patriarch Bartholomew – Ed.) went against Moscow and today we have our Local Orthodox Church of Ukraine. Although I am a Greek Catholic, I understand that this decision is very important for Ukraine," Martsinkiv said.

In the near future, the Ivano-Frankivsk City Council will send a delegation to the head of Phanar in Istanbul (Turkey) to present him with documents on conferring the title of honorary citizen. We will remind that earlier Martsinkiv joyfully reported about the court decision by which the UOC community was evicted from the Transfiguration church in Ivano-Frankivsk.

As reported by the UOJ, the mayor’s office of Ivano-Frankivsk explained why the UOC community had been deprived of the church.

Read also