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30 November 2018, 13:00Autocephaly plans stalling over canonical Ukrainian church's firm stance - Russian Сhurch
Moscow, November 30, Interfax - The uncompromising stance of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church regarding autocephaly in the country has prevented Constantinople from making progress on this issue, according to Archpriest Nikolay Balashov, the deputy head of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations.
At a meeting of the Synod in Istanbul on Thursday, the Patriarchate of Constantinople, contrary to expectations, did not name the specific date of the "unification assembly," at which it is planning to establish a Ukrainian church independent from Moscow.
"Something went wrong... The expected decision on the date of the 'unification assembly' didn't come. They have to repeat once again that everything has been decided in general, that the tomos is getting closer and has never been this close. Why is that? I believe it's because it's now clear to everyone after the Bishops' Council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which adopted an uncompromising canonical stance, that if the anticipated 'unification assembly' manages to unite anyone, it will be only the schismatics recently rehabilitated by Phanar [the Church of Constantinople]," the priest told Interfax.
"And they [the schismatics] are difficult to deal with, as they're only good at division, not multiplication. And why exactly would they unite with anyone if they've already become allegedly 'canonical' and 'recognized' all at once?" the priest said.
"Even if it is convened someday, such an 'assembly' will never create a rosy picture of global reconciliation and unification under the aegis of Istanbul; it will only demonstrate the truth of what the Russian Orthodox Church has been saying again and again, that [the tomos] is about legalizing the schism," he said.
Other autocephalous local Churches will never agree to that; none of them has expressed support for Constantinople's plans to interfere in Ukrainian church affairs, the priest said. |
