Head of Phanar assures MEPs that Tomos for OCU "healed wounds of centuries"

Patriarch Bartholomew’s speech at the European Parliament. Photo: European Parliament website

On January 27, 2025, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, speaking at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, claimed that the Tomos granted to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) "healed divisions and wounds of centuries."

He stated that the Ecumenical Patriarchate, in light of military actions in the Middle East, expressed support for the Churches of Jerusalem and Antioch, quoting the words of Apostle Paul: "If one member suffers, then all members suffer together. And if one member is honored, then all members also rejoice together" (1 Corinthians 12:26).

"Nevertheless, our support for churches in crisis transcends mere moral or spiritual support. The development and maturity of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine demonstrates how solidarity and unity work in practise and not just theory," the head of Phanar stated.

According to him, "The bestowal and recognition of its autocephaly, namely ecclesiastical self-administration, by the Ecumenical Patriarchate six years ago, in January of 2019, demonstrates how canonical order and pastoral care can heal divisions and wounds of centuries."

"It also confirms that the ancient canonical principles of the Orthodox Church can address contemporary problems in a divided world. The entire world is daily witness to how the courageous people of Ukraine have struggled and sacrificed so much for independence from oppression and for religious freedom," Patriarch Bartholomew said.

He also noted that the religious balance "requires wisdom in distinguishing between essential traditions and adaptable practices, between fundamental principles and contextual expressions."

The head of Phanar did not mention the suffering of the believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) in his speech.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that Metropolitan Theodosiy of Cherkasy called on the head of Phanar to suspend the Tomos due to the criminal actions of representatives of the OCU.

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