Phanar head: I like the Ukrainian authorities willing to cooperate with OCU

Patriarch Bartholomew and Vladimir Zelensky. Photo: president.gov.ua

On December 6, 2021, during a conversation with Ukrainian journalists in Istanbul, the head of Phanar said that he liked the desire of the Ukrainian authorities to cooperate with the OCU, the Left Bank newspaper reports.

Patriarch Bartholomew noted that he is not upset by what the Russians are accusing him of, and what Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk or the UOC Chancellor, Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil, say about him.

At the same time, he is confident that "attacks" on him have increased after his visits to Ukraine and the United States. The reason for this "increase" is that "both visits were successful and blessed," but "our Russian brothers would rather it had been different."

The head of Phanar also said that he was struck by the faith of the Ukrainians and respect: "Wherever I appeared, I was thanked for the Tomos and Autocephaly, especially during the worship in front of  the St. Sophia Cathedral of Kyiv."

Patriarch Bartholomew “saw the state’s desire to cooperate with the Autocephalous Church of Ukraine” and stressed that he “liked it”.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that the head of Phanar forgives the Chancellor of the UOC, but he will not let his privileges be called into question .

Read also