UOC community in Germany moves to Constantinople Patriarchate

The rector of the parish in Erfurt, Fr. Serhiy Tymoshchuk. Photo: Facebook

The UOC Nativity of Christ community in Erfurt, Germany, has transferred to the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. This was stated in the parish’s Facebook post.

The decision is explained by the protracted war in Ukraine and by the need to formalize compliance with the canons. The parish rector, Fr. Serhiy Tymoshchuk, assured that Germany is the “canonical territory of the Western European Eparchy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.”

“What does this mean? According to the 28th canon of the Fourth Ecumenical Council, Orthodox parishes on the territory of Europe fall under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, since this territory lies within the sphere of its canonical responsibility. In accordance with these canons, our Nativity of Christ parish, at our request, was received into the Western European Eparchy of the Patriarchate of Constantinople,” Tymoshchuk said.

The priest’s classification of Germany as the “canonical territory of the Patriarchate of Constantinople” is not substantiated. In that country, alongside the UOC, there are also structures of the Russian Orthodox Church, the ROCOR, the Romanian Patriarchate, the Bulgarian Patriarchate, the Antiochian Patriarchate, the Georgian Church, and the Macedonian Church.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that the UOC’s foreign mission stated that there are manipulations surrounding its activity.

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