Inviting Epifaniy to Fanar: A signal to Trump of continued support for OCU?
The entire world can now see that the Phanar’s project to create the OCU has failed. Yet, Patriarch Bartholomew persists in favoring Dumenko. Why?
From 7 to 9 March 2025, the head of the OCU, Epifaniy Dumenko, visited Istanbul, where he participated in the liturgies of the Ecumenical Patriarchate at the Phanar. Considering recent events, this visit can hardly be called routine.
Firstly, it is of particular importance in the context of the US administration’s stance on Russia’s war against Ukraine. Secondly, the current attitude towards the OCU, both globally and at the Phanar itself, plays an important role. For this reason, we believe that Dumenko’s visit is a certain signal that Patriarch Bartholomew has decided to send to the world. But what is it?
The Elpidophoros vs Emmanuel struggle
It is hardly a coincidence that Dumenko was invited to serve at the Phanar specifically on 9 March. The fact is that the first Sunday of Lent in Orthodox churches is celebrated as the “Triumph of Orthodoxy”. The symbolism of this feast lies not only in commemorating the restoration of the veneration of icons but also in bearing witness to victory over all heresies in general. Furthermore, in the Russian tradition, on the feast of the Triumph of Orthodoxy, anathemas are proclaimed against heretics and enemies of the Church, long-life blessings are proclaimed for Orthodox hierarchs, and “Eternal Memory” is chanted for faith defenders.
Naturally, a joint service of Patriarch Bartholomew and a person whom 11 out of 15 Local Churches consider a layman or schismatic is a sign that the head of the Phanar does not intend to reconsider his decision to grant the Tomos to the OCU.
However, Patriarch Bartholomew seems to be signaling not only to the Synods of those Churches that have not recognized Dumenko but also to the head of the American Archdiocese of the Phanar, Archbishop Elpidophoros.
Persistent rumors have been circulating recently (indirectly confirmed by the Ukrainian Exarchate of the Ecumenical Patriarchate) that Elpidophoros advocates for revising the OCU’s Tomos. Allegedly, he was behind the commission that visited Ukraine last winter, and he is the one most strongly criticizing Dumenko and Zoria.
Another confirmation that Archbishop Elpidophoros is trying to propose some options that would allow Fanar to get out of the situation with the recognition of the PCU with minimal reputational losses appeared on the Orthodox Times website funded by the USA the other day.
Within a week, the editorial team published two articles, which are very much in line with the statements we have either heard from Archbishop Elpidophoros himself or his circle.
The first article suggested that the UOC and the OCU in Ukraine should first unite into an Exarchate of the Constantinople Patriarchate (allegedly, such unification would be the least painful), while the second proposes the creation of a permanent Synod at the Phanar. Apart from hierarchs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Synod will also include representatives of the Local Churches. According to the author’s vision, this Synod should deal with “pan-Orthodox issues” and could become the first step towards the “Pan-Orthodox Synaxis” that would resolve the “Ukrainian question”.
Naturally, Archbishop Elpidophoros’s position within the Ecumenical Patriarchate is not appreciated by everyone. First and foremost, it is disliked by the main “beneficiary” and ideologist of the OCU Tomos, Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon. It is believed that he has managed to convince Patriarch Bartholomew that Archbishop Elpidophoros’s plan is futile and undermines the authority of the head of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Therefore, the decision to invite Dumenko is quite likely a response not even from Patriarch Bartholomew himself, but from Metropolitan Emmanuel to all those trying to find a way out of the current situation.
Moreover, this response closely resembles the move made by the ancient Greek politician and military leader Agathocles of Syracuse, who ordered his army to burn their ships to show that there was no way back. It seems likely that Dumenko’s visit to the Phanar is yet another example of Agathocles’s tactic. However, it must be noted that this approach did not always work, and history has seen cases where, having cut off their own retreats, commanders lost battles...
Therefore, the invitation of the OCU head to the Phanar may turn out to be a rash decision, which is unlikely to serve the Patriarchate of Constantinople well. Judge for yourselves.
The triumph of non-Orthodoxy in Ukraine
The real situation in Ukraine’s religious landscape is far from a “Triumph of Orthodoxy”. On the contrary, the crisis has not only deepened but has also reached such proportions that it is practically impossible to control. The authorities have passed a law banning the UOC and are doing everything in their power to take over temples of the canonical Church in favor of the OCU. However, the churches seized stand empty because believers are not joining Dumenko’s structure, and nothing and no one can force them to do so.
At the same time, with the OCU’s approval, the authorities are committing horrendous acts against the UOC. Hierarchs, priests, and laity of the UOC continue to languish in prisons on absurd charges, the clergy are being mobilized for the war, and in early March, the Ministry of Culture announced a “verification” of the relics of the Saint Fathers of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. Not a single protest followed from Epifaniy, who is supposedly the “Archimandrite” of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.
It is now evident that the leadership of Dumenko’s structure has not only failed to help the Phanar “overcome the schism” in the country but has intensified it significantly.
Moreover, there is neither unity nor mutual understanding within the OCU itself. Several serious conflicts are brewing: between Epifaniy and the Volyn “Metropolitan” Mykhailo Zinkevych, as well as between former members of the UAOC and the UOC-KP, who are “ruling” over the same territories.
Against this backdrop, the visit to the Phanar is undeniably a “plus” for Dumenko. But for Patriarch Bartholomew, it’s a big “minus”. And not only because Epifaniy is unlikely to ever be accepted by other Local Churches. What’s far worse for him is the possibility of becoming unacceptable among politicians, especially within the new Trump administration.
Trump and “Biden's friends”
At the beginning of 2025, as soon as Donald Trump assumed the Office of President of the United States, he initiated a series of reforms that can only be described as “dismantling the old system.” US policy towards Constantinople and the OCU may undergo significant changes. Accusations from the UOC’s lawyer, Robert Amsterdam, are becoming increasingly vocal towards both the Ukrainian authorities and the OCU.
For instance, in an interview with Tucker Carlson, a journalist close to Trump, Amsterdam stated: “This other church …. has stolen 1,500 of our churches. Yes. Stolen them. Outright stolen them. And worse, beaten our priests, beaten our parishioners. And I have this all on video.”
Part of this interview was reposted by Elon Musk. And we can be sure that it didn’t go unnoticed.
So, Dumenko could very soon become a toxic figure. However, Patriarch Bartholomew still invites him. Why?
To answer this question, we need to look at the position of Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople regarding the US President. An analysis of his actions and statements suggests that the Patriarch does not view Trump as an ally in strengthening the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
It’s worth recalling that during Joe Biden’s presidency, Patriarch Bartholomew repeatedly and openly demonstrated warm relations with the American leader. Despite Biden’s promotion of LGBT rights and abortion, the head of the Phanar called him a “true Christian”, emphasized his friendship with him, and maintained practically constant contact. In turn, Biden referred to the head of the Phanar as “a great friend”, congratulated the Patriarch on the thirtieth anniversary of his patriarchy, and highlighted the importance of his leadership. In his letter, Biden noted that the US needs a leader like Bartholomew and expressed hope for continued dialogue.
At the same time, unlike the previous elections, Patriarch Bartholomew did not publicly comment on Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 election. This contrasts with his congratulation of Trump in 2016. It is clear that the lack of a public reaction to Trump's re-election may indicate a cool attitude from the Patriarch towards the new US President.
Moreover, we believe that the head of the Phanar, strangely enough, is currently more focused on the Vatican than on the State Department. It is worth noting that Trump also presents certain challenges for the Vatican.
The Trump administration has made it clear from the outset that it stands for conservatism and traditionalism, which raises certain concerns within the Roman Catholic Church, which has established very close ties with globalist circles. The former Vatican ambassador to the US, Cardinal Carlo Maria Viganò, even stated that Pope Francis is part of a “global project” to control the world and that Trump is seen by this project as a very dangerous figure. Hence, there was criticism of his leadership by Catholic hierarchs and even by the Pope himself. This also explains the very cool attitude towards Trump from Patriarch Bartholomew, who both directly and indirectly supports the “globalist agenda” that the new US administration opposes. It is enough to recall the Phanar leader’s “environmental initiatives” and Trump’s statements that America does not intend to participate in them.
For this reason, we have the right to believe that Patriarch Bartholomew's invitation of Epifaniy Dumenko to the feast of the Triumph of Orthodoxy can be seen as a signal from the Phanar head to the Trump administration: We will continue to patronize the OCU.
This thesis is further supported by Bartholomew’s recent statement that Ukraine should participate in the peace negotiation process (which the US opposes). In the same speech, he also expressed personal support for Volodymyr Zelensky, which seems rather strange after the scandal at the White House.
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Anyway, it is now clear that Patriarch Bartholomew is taking a highly disadvantageous step to support his “creation”, which continues to harm global Orthodoxy in general and the Patriarchate of Constantinople in particular. We cannot understand why he is doing this. However, one thing is absolutely clear: it is a mistake whose price will be too high even for him.
