Bishop Victor: Head of Phanar knows he has failed but will never admit it

Bishop Victor (Kotsaba). Photo: news-politics.com

Commenting on relations between the UOC and the Patriarchate of Constantinople, Bishop Victor (Kotsaba) of Baryshivka, Head of the UOC Representation to European International Organizations, said that Patriarch Bartholomew realizes that he had lost in the situation with Ukraine, but will never admit it, news-politics.com reports.

"At the moment a dialogue with Patriarch Bartholomew on 'Ukrainian problems' seems impossible. Moreover, the further away, the more distant even the prospect of this dialogue is. In this sense, it will suffice to recall the words of the patriarch that he 'does not care' about being expelled from the diptychs of the Russian Orthodox Church. Yet, if we talk about the Church, about Her unity, not to mention that every bishop is a role model for the flock, then the words of Patriarch Bartholomew are a shock, which is difficult to recover from. What can that mean? How can one make any claims about the supremacy and primacy of the Church? After all, if a person does not control what he says, it is an indication that he loses not patience, but authority, respect, etc. And, very importantly, such vocabulary can be used only by those who know and feel they have gone astray. Patriarch Bartholomew knows that he has failed, but he will never admit it. We want a dialogue with him, but he wants no dialogue with us, unfortunately," said Bishop Victor.

According to the hierarch of the UOC, Patriarch Bartholomew does not see and does not want to see the problems faced by UOC believers in Ukraine.

"The head of the Patriarchate of Constantinople lives in some unreal or, more precisely, fictional world in relation to Ukraine. He is sure that by granting the Tomos to the OCU, he put the matter to rest with one stroke of the pen. In fact, the head of Phanar not only failed to solve even a minimal fraction of problems, but also caused new ones. Moreover, he caused them for almost all Local Churches, including the Patriarchate of Constantinople," added Bishop Victor (Kotsaba).

As previously reported by the UOJ, Bishop Victor is convinced that the phrase "I don't care", with which Patriarch Bartholomew commented on the exclusion of his name from the diptychs of the ROC, will be recorded in the history of the Church for a long time.

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