UOC-KP head: Lotysh demands participation of Phanar bishops for ordination

Ordination of Avraamiy Lotysh. Photo: OCU

The head of the UOC-KP "Patriarch" Nikodym in an interview with the YouTube channel "NTP" reported on the hidden conditions of Avraamy Lotysh regarding his own ordination. According to Nikodym, the former monk of the Kyiv Caves Lavra hesitated for a long time before making this step and put forward a demand to the OCU regarding his future ordination.

"Lotysh is the only one who transferred from the Lavra... He hesitated for a very long time, for a very long time," said the head of the UOC-KP. As a mandatory condition to be ordained as "bishop," Avraamy demanded the participation of at least two hierarchs of the Constantinople Patriarchate in the process. Lotysh sought to obtain additional "canonical guarantees" as he doubted the recognition of the procedures offered by the OCU.

Nikodym emphasized that ultimately the OCU leadership fulfilled this condition. Representatives of the Phanar participated in Lotysh's ordination, in particlular Metropolitan Emmanuel and Bishop Michael of Komana. The head of the Kyiv Patriarchate believes that such a position clearly demonstrates the internal uncertainty of OCU hierarchs in their own legitimacy.

As reported by the UOJ, earlier Metropolitan Mark of Berlin and Germany stated that a layman stands at the head of the OCU, having neither priestly nor episcopal ordination. Avraamy's desire to obtain external "canonical guarantees" from Constantinople resonates with Metropolitan Mark's position. Thus, even those who decide to transfer to Dumenko's structure realize the truth of the words about the invalidity of local "ordinations" and try to legitimize their status through direct intervention of Greek hierarchs.

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