Motives to create OCU are Pat. Bartholomew' resentment and revenge, DECR MP head

Patriarchs Kirill and Bartholomew. Photo: the Phanar's press service

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk in the program "Church and World" named three key motives that guided Patriarch Bartholomew in the OCU creation.

The first motive is external pressure. The first motive is external pressure. According to Metropolitan Anthony, Patriarch Bartholomew "was under significant influence from the relevant handlers". The head of the DECR believes that the connection between Phanar and American intelligence services has existed since the time of Patriarch Athenagoras, who was brought to Istanbul on President Truman's plane.

The second motive is personal resentment, as several Local Churches, including the Russian one, did not attend the Council of Crete organized by him. "Patriarch Bartholomew — this is no secret either — was driven by such a completely unchristian feeling as revenge, which he has repeatedly stated," the hierarch emphasized. According to him, the council did not turn out to be a full one, because at that time the problem of the lack of Eucharistic communion between the Patriarchates of Antioch and Jerusalem had not been resolved, and a number of Churches decided not to go to Crete.

"The Russian Church was the last of them. Nevertheless, Patriarch Bartholomew somehow decided that it was the ROC that decided to disrupt the Council. And already then, when this happened, he used the word 'revenge,' speaking about what his reaction would be to the fact that the Council, which still took place, turned out to be not pan-Orthodox. Therefore, his personal resentment became another significant factor that led to his intervention in Ukraine and interference in its church affairs," said Metropolitan Anthony.

The third motive is papal ambitions. According to the head of the DECR MP, "Patriarch Bartholomew began to consider himself a kind of pope of the Orthodox world, appropriating some imaginary privileges."

"And, considering himself such an absolute autocrat of the Orthodox world, he believes that he can do whatever he wants: cancel decisions of centuries-old standing, grant someone autocephaly or revoke autocephaly, call former clergy deprived of their rank or laypeople never legitimately ordained as bishops and priests. This undoubtedly leads to chaos in the Orthodox world, to a sharp rejection of what Patriarch Bartholomew is doing," the hierarch emphasized.

Metropolitan Anthony is convinced that Patriarch Bartholomew understands the futility of his decision and sees what is happening in Ukraine.. "In this so-called OCU, there are not enough monks to settle them in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra alone," the hierarch stated. However, according to him, these three factors will not allow the Ecumenical Patriarch to admit his mistake.

He emphasized that since the creation of the OCU, many Churches and hierarchs have called for a Pan-Orthodox council on the Ukrainian issue, but the Ecumenical Patriarch has consistently responded to such proposals with refusal.

"Any attempts, as well as our numerous calls, to begin a pan-Orthodox discussion of what is happening provoke strong resistance from the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, who, of course, understands that if everyone gathers, he will have to answer very uncomfortable questions for which he most likely has no adequate answers," stated the Metropolitan of Volokolamsk.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that the head of the DECR MP responded whether the UOC is moving towards schism.

Read also