Phanar hierarch: Encounting head of Montenegro's schismatics is accidental

Archbishop Elia. Photo: yle

The head of the Finnish Church of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, Archbishop Elia, criticized the editorial board of UOJ in America on his Facebook for publishing about his meeting with the head of the schismatic "Montenegrin Church" Boris Bojović.

According to the archbishop, it was a "brief encounter in Rome with someone dressed as a bishop who introduced himself as being from Montenegro." He believes that such a meeting and a group photo in which he poses together with Bojović is not a reason to "spin a whole story out of this."

"Let this serve as a textbook example of how disinformation is produced and shamelessly spread. There were no negotiations. There was no meeting. There was a one-sided two-minute contact – the kind that happens at any major event where people cross paths. Those who wish to construct elaborate stories from chance encounters can draw their own conclusions. The rest of us see it for what it is: the anatomy of a lie put on display," wrote the archbishop, reposting the UOJ publication.

In turn, the editor-in-chief of UOJ in America, Ben Dixon, expressed surprise at such an emotional reaction from the Finnish Primate to an ordinary news publication.

"With all due respect to His Grace, presenting verifiable facts is not disinformation," Dixon noted. "The article does not attribute malicious motives to the participants, but records the concern expressed by some believers in connection with the fact that two hierarchs subordinate to the Ecumenical Patriarch met with this schismatic in Rome."

According to the Editor-in-Chief, a particular concern for part of the flock is the fact that the Ecumenical Patriarchate has a history of legitimizing schismatics, despite previous statements to the contrary.

"It would seem that the natural reaction of a bishop would be not to show hostility, but to address the editorial board with clarification: 'Let me explain what actually happened,' in order to inform readers and dispel the flock's concern caused by such photographs," Ben Dixon concluded.

At the same time, the Montenegrin press, citing the press service of the "Montenegrin Church," assures that the meeting between Bojović and the delegation of the Finnish Church was official: "During the solemn liturgical ceremony dedicated to the 148th anniversary of the founding of the National Institute of the Honor Guard of the Royal Tombs of the Pantheon, Metropolitan Boris, together with a delegation of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, met with an ecumenical delegation from Finland, which included: Tapio Luoma, Archbishop of Turku and All Finland of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, and Elia Välgren, Archbishop of Helsinki and All Finland, head of the Finnish Orthodox Church operating under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate," the statement said.

We remind that Constantinople assured that they do not support Montenegro's schismatics.

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