Met. Emmanuel: Constantinople does not support Montenegro's schismatics

Metropolitan Emmanuel at a meeting with Zelensky. Photo: OP website

Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon in an interview with Παραπολιτικά 90,1 refuted claims by Russian intelligence that the Patriarchate of Constantinople intends to support the creation of the "Church of Montenegro".

"I’ll say it plainly: we have never had anything to do with this issue. It is not even a church structure — just some kind of group that cannot even be called schismatic. We have never had any contact with this group in Montenegro. This is simply informational noise on their part," stated Metropolitan Emmanuel.

He also commented on Russian accusations regarding Constantinople's interference in the affairs of the Baltic Churches.

According to him, the Russian Orthodox Church "already sees that many believers and clergy who are in the Baltic countries will want to join the Church that gives them freedom." He believes that the Churches in Latvia and Lithuania "will lose their flock".

The metropolitan also criticized statements by these Churches that they are no longer part of the Moscow Patriarchate.

"When His Holiness asked Metropolitan Alexander in Latvia: 'Whom do you commemorate?', he replied: 'I commemorate all Orthodox bishops.' – 'But you are not the primate of all Orthodox!' The fact is that he does not want to commemorate Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, because he considers it disadvantageous for their unity with Moscow to be noticeable. That is why this service – the former KGB, which we talked about, – reacts so sharply," stated Metropolitan Emmanuel.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that, according to the Metropolitan of Chalcedon, Constantinople hopes for dialogue with the ROC so that there would be one Church in Ukraine.

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