Patriarch Bartholomew reminds that Kyiv Patriarchate does not exist

Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople has said that the Kyiv Patriarchate does not exist and never existed. He made this statement at the end of last week in Istanbul during a meeting with Ukrainian journalists. It was reported by Head of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine Serhiy Tomilenko, according to UA 1.

"As for Filaret, he was reinstalled in the episcopal dignity of the former Metropolitan of Kyiv. The so-called “Kyiv Patriarchate” does not exist and never existed,” Tomilenko cited Bartholomew’s words.

At the same time, the Patriarch reaffirmed his support of Ukraine and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU).

"The recent provision of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine was not driven by politics or geolopitics. It was first and foremost a pastoral concern about justice, spiritual justice. For decades, if not centuries, Ukraine could not enjoy full freedom from external influence, especially on the part of the Russian state,” he said.