ROC head: Attempts to impose special powers of Pat. Bartholomew are sinful

Patriarch Kirill and Patriarch Bartholomew. Photo: ROC Press Service

Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church rejected the doctrine of the primacy of the Constantinople Patriarch's authority in the Orthodox world. Speaking on April 22, 2026, at the Russian Foreign Ministry's Reception House, he stated that "any attempts to present one of our brothers as possessing special authority over the entire Orthodox oecumene are sinful from the standpoint of violating church laws."

On this topic Ecumenical Patriarch: We will not renounce the privilege of our primacy

"Unfortunately, a doctrine alien to Orthodoxy about special authoritative powers of my brother, the Constantinople Patriarch, continues to be imposed from outside," concluded the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that, according to Metropolitan Mark of Berlin, a particular test for Orthodox unity was the imposition by the Constantinople Church of the status of first without equals, which has been actively promoted since the Council of Crete in 2016.

Read also

Gay pride march held in Kharkiv metro

Several dozen people held an LGBT event in the Kharkiv metro.

Serbian Patriarch offers condolences over murder of Sviatohirsk Lavra monk

The head of the Serbian Orthodox Church called Sviatohirsk Lavra a refuge for the displaced and urged that the monk’s violent death not be turned into anyone’s weapon.

“Never seen before”: Israel reports record number of Hasidim in Uman

According to an Israeli police representative, 52,000 pilgrims are currently in Uman – 10,000 more than last year. The city itself has a population of about 75,000.

UOC faithful hold prayer vigil outside Lavra for more than 1,000 days

For three and a half years, Orthodox Christians have continued praying for peace and for the preservation of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.

Zelensky congratulates Jews on Rosh Hashanah

Volodymyr Zelensky wished Jews peace and the triumph of good over evil.

Kyiv Theological Academy publishes book on Orthodoxy in 17th-century Ukraine

With the blessing of the UOC Primate, the Kyiv Theological Academy and Seminary has published a textbook marking the 430th anniversary of the birth of St. Petro Mohyla.