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."
"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
Ukraine must have its own faith: Poroshenko's party lays out peace terms
Poroshenko’s party European Solidarity described church policy as a matter of national sovereignty and said there can be no compromises in this area.
432 UOC churches damaged in Ukraine during war, report says
According to the Religion on Fire project, 807 religious buildings in Ukraine have been damaged or destroyed as a result of hostilities.
DESS official gives number of clergy exempt from mobilization in Ukraine
A DESS representative said the actual number of clergy exempt from mobilization is significantly lower than the number of religious organizations designated as critical.
Cabinet keeps gas prices unchanged for religious organizations
The Cabinet has fixed gas prices for religious organizations through the end of the 2026–2027 heating season.
Concert held at seized Cherkasy cathedral
The OCU thanked the musical ensemble for choosing the Cherkasy cathedral as the venue for a Baroque music concert.
OCU activist admits breaking into UOC church in Sloviansk
Oleksandr Onyshchenko said that the OCU held its first "service" at the Seraphim Church, which had previously been broken into by forcing the locks and doors.