• Home page
  • News
  • Archbishop Yevstratiy (Zorya) explains why Moscow plays along with Filaret...

Archbishop Yevstratiy (Zorya) explains why Moscow plays along with Filaret

09.07.2019, 14:55
Archbishop Yevstratiy (Zorya) explains why Moscow plays along with Filaret - фото 1
Archbishop Yevstratiy (Zorya), representative of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, spoke about what Moscow-2 wants to achieve, or why Russia is playing along with honorary Patriarch Filaret 24/7.

Archbishop Yevstratiy (Zorya), representative of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, spoke about what Moscow-2 wants to achieve, or why Russia is playing along with honorary Patriarch Filaret 24/7.

"I want to dwell on the question – why Moscow actively supports the latest statements and actions of Patriarch Filaret? One should be blind not to see how it acts through own media and media related to Russian-backed forces in Ukraine.

Besides the fact that it is not just criticism but deprecating the Tomos as such (and criticism of all involved in its issuance and receipt) is vital for Moscow in achieving its goals (of which I wrote earlier) – it is important for Russia to prove that "Filaret has always been like this!"

A lot of people, even among the OCU, especially those who have previously been associated with the Moscow Patriarchate and the UAOC, to put it mildly, are critical towards the entire life path of the Patriarch Emeritus. This is quite understandable.

But I urge you not to give in to emotions and not to let them obscure an objective picture.

You should realize that no matter whether someone likes or dislikes the personality of Patriarch Filaret – he is a key personality in the history of the establishment of the autocephaly of the UOC throughout the last three decades.

We should not forget: it is due to the satisfaction of the petition (ecleto) to the Ecumenical Patriarch in October last year, which he filed against the unjust resolutions of the Russian Orthodox Church on the "defrocking and anathema," that launched the process of unification and made possible the granting of the Tomos.

Therefore, one of Moscow's tasks in undermining the Tomos is to prove that satisfaction of the petition was "wrong, illegal, erroneous." It is for this particular purpose that they state, pointing out to the current erroneous actions of the Elder and strengthening several-fold the impression they make: "he was always a dissenter, in 1992 he did everything not for the sake of the Church, but for the sake of power!"

If we agree with this thesis – then Moscow will insist that the "condemnation" was "fair", hence the satisfaction of the petition is "wrong", similarly, everything that happened further is also wrong, including the Unification Council and the Tomos.

And this is objectively not the case, because in 1992 he defended the Council's decision on autocephaly, and now he opposes the Council's decision – this is a fundamental difference that cannot be ignored by anyone.

He was under trial once, as he opposed the wishes of Moscow, and not for what is imputed to him. Everyone is well aware which individuals with what crimes against the canons remain for years and decades in the leading circles of the Russian Orthodox Church without being condemned, but being praised and making careers – so there was no objectivity in Moscow's "proceedings" and there is not any now.

So, our common task, the task for everyone who wants the good of the Church – is not to let Moscow play this game, forcing to reject everything Patriarch Filaret has done for the Church and Ukraine through his current incorrect statements and actions," the Archbishop wrote. It is reported by Uainfo.