Russian Synod calls Constantinople’s actions non-canonical and threatens with payback

On September 8, 2018, the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church issued a statement in which it expressed “protest and profound indignation” in connection with the communiqué of the General Secretariat of the Holy Synod of the Constantinople Patriarchate, published on September 7, announcing the appointment of two hierarchs of this Church, Archbishop Daniel of Pamphilon (USA) and Bishop Hilarion of Edmonton (Canada) as “exarch” of the Constantinople Patriarchate in Kyiv”. The Information Educational Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church reports it with reference to patriarchia.ru.

On September 8, 2018, the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church  issued a statement in which it expressed “protest and profound indignation” in connection with the communiqué of the General Secretariat of the Holy Synod of the Constantinople Patriarchate, published on September 7, announcing the appointment of two hierarchs of this Church,  Archbishop Daniel of Pamphilon (USA) and Bishop Hilarion of Edmonton (Canada) as “exarch” of the Constantinople Patriarchate in Kyiv”. The Information Educational Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church reports it with reference to patriarchia.ru.

The document states that such a decision was made without coordination with of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and Metropolitan Onufriy of Kyiv and All Ukraine, and constitute, as they claim in the statement, “a gross neglect of the church canons, which prohibit the hierarchs of one Local Church to interfere in the internal life and the affairs of another Local Church (Canon 2 of the Second Ecumenical Council, Canon 20 of the Council in Trullo, Canon 13 of the Council of Antioch, Canons 3, 11 and 12 of the Council of Sardinia).”

“It completely contradicts the position -- unchanged until now -- of the Patriarchate of Constantinople and personally of Patriarch Bartholomew, who has repeatedly stated that he recognizes His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy as the only canonical head of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine,” the Russian Orthodox Church said in the statement.

The decision of the Patriarchate of Constantinople – “to accept for consideration the issue of granting autocephaly to Orthodox believers of Ukraine”- as claimed in Moscow, “is adopted contrary to the will of the bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

The statement also says, “These actions drive in a deadlock the relations between the Churches of Russia and Constantinople, posing a real threat to the unity of universal Orthodoxy.”

“The Holy Synod of the ROC declares that the full responsibility for these anti-canonical acts lies personally with Patriarch Bartholomew and their supporters in the Church of Constantinople. The relevant actions of the Moscow Patriarchate will be taken soon,” the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church reported.