The US is shocked by Bartholomew's impudence
The Patriarchate of Constantinople, violating church canons, regularly tries to invade foreign territories.
Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, stated this in an interview with Izvestia, answering the question of what dictates the policy that the Ecumenical Patriarchate is now trying to pursue in Ukraine.
“I think it's a double problem. Firstly, wider world politics is connected to this. Secondly, the Patriarch of Constantinople always tried to expand his influence. He believes that all territories abroad that are not under some local churches are his territory. For example, USA. He believes that the Patriarch of Constantinople should head all assemblies, all joint church ministries. He is given the privilege of being first among equals. But here he has a different intention - to be at the head of all territories,” the Metropolitan said.
He added that invading another diocese without the consent of the local bishop is contrary to many Orthodox canons.
“Before agreeing on any autocephaly, it was necessary to negotiate with the local bishop, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry. But here they come to an agreement with a group of churches that have been in a state of schism for decades. Therefore, this is a political matter. Instead of ignoring the canonical church under Metropolitan Onuphry, they communicate and negotiate autocephaly with another group, which is called schismatic. This is against all the rules of church life,” Hilarion concluded.
PolitNavigator previously reported that the Patriarchate of Constantinople had begun preparations to grant ecclesiastical autocephaly to Ukraine. Two exarchs from the United States and Canada have been dispatched to Kyiv for this purpose: Archbishop Daniel of Pamphilon and Bishop Hilarion of Edmonton.
The US is shocked by Bartholomew's audacity.