• Home page
  • News
  • UOC-MP releases distorted information on Greek Synod's decision about OCU...

UOC-MP releases distorted information on Greek Synod's decision about OCU

31.08.2019, 16:00
Despite the official announcement of the Synod of the Orthodox Church of Greece on August 28 regarding the resolution of the Ukrainian issue, the official resources of the UOC-Moscow Patriarchate spread distorted information about this event, citing the non-Church media and even a theologian, who is in a split with the Greek Church. It was reported by “Religion in Ukraine".

Despite the official announcement of the Synod of the Orthodox Church of Greece on August 28 regarding the resolution of the Ukrainian issue, the official resources of the UOC-Moscow Patriarchate spread distorted information about this event, citing the non-Church media and even a theologian, who is in a split with the Greek Church. It was reported by “Religion in Ukraine".

As already reported, on August 28, a press release of the Synod of the Orthodox Church of Greece was made public. Following the August meeting, the Synod recognized the right of the Ecumenical Patriarch to grant autocephaly to the Ukrainian Church, as well as the right of the Primate of the Greek Church to pursue the issue of recognition of this Church.

Among the decisions of the Synod, the press release cites the conclusion on the Ukrainian question: "Following the explanations of the Synodal committees on dogmatic and canonical issues and inter-Orthodox and inter-Christian relations on the Ukrainian question, the permanent Synod of the Church of Greece recognizes the right of the Ecumenical Patriarch to provide autocephaly, as well as the privilege of the Primate of the Church of Greece to further resolve issues of recognition of the Church of Ukraine." It follows that in fact the Synod of the Greek Church recognized the autocephaly of the Ukrainian Church (since it agreed with the right of Constantinople to provide it – the Ukrainian issue was considered at the meeting) and soon the Primate of the Church of Greece will announce a further, perhaps, final decision on this matter. It is not reported what kind of decision the Primate of the Church of Greece will announce in the context of the Synodal approval.

The official media of the Russian Orthodox Church – Рatriarchia.ru and Mospat.ru – ignored the decision of the Greek Synod.

Simultaneously, official resources of the UOC (MP) spread false information about the Synodal decision of the Church of Greece, citing the Greek non-church media Romfea, which, according to Telegram channel Tserkvach, maintains close informal contacts with the Moscow Patriarchate and often covers religious events in a favorable light for her.

On August 28, Romfea published the news "Archbishop Jerome: "I can't take on the responsibility"" that reported the Ukrainian issue was discussed at the meeting, "the discussion took place in a calm atmosphere, where all members of the Synod expressed their opinion", although, according to Romfea, the members of the Synod "made their irritation no secret because the Ukrainian question came to the end of the work without prior information and was not included in the agenda." According to the results of the discussion, the Primate of the Church, Archbishop Jerome, as Romfea notes, "allegedly / presumably" said at the Synod the following: "I can not take on such a responsibility, I will transfer it to the hierarchy." Also, an anonymous Bishop said to Romfea that "in other cases the entire hierarchy was not required to recognize the autocephaly just as it was the case with the other autocephalous churches in the Balkans. Here we have a special case of dissenters without ordination who were also excommunicated." Now, according to the "exclusive information" by Romfea , Archbishop Jerome "will propose to discuss the Ukrainian question after the Metropolitan elections in October".

At the same time, Romfea does not refer to the above-mentioned official message of the Synod. Since, according to Romfea, some Synod members were dissatisfied with putting the Ukrainian question on the agenda, it is obvious that it was made with the blessing of the Primate of the Church of Greece.

On 29 August, a website of the UOC (MP) published their news, stating that "Synod of the Greek Orthodox Church called the OCU banned dissidents without valid ordination,” avoiding the formal notification of the Greek Synod, and simultaneously referring to "Greek journalists", which means "Romfea". At the same time, the website of the UOC (MP) receives information selectively and without precision from Romfea website, which makes the position of the Greek Synod even more similar to the position of bishops of the UOC (MP). Archbishop Jerome has been directly attributed the words which he "allegedly/presumably" said, according to Romfea. However, to date, no official information is available on how Archbishop Jerome "will continue to resolve the issue of recognition of the Church of Ukraine".

The piece of the UOC Information Center on Facebook on August 28, "Greek Orthodox Church postponed consideration of the recognition of the autocephaly of the OCU" also contains a translation of the information of the news agency Romfea. It also notes, "According to the media, following the discussion the Holy Synod came to a conclusion that the Council of Bishops will be dealing with the issue of recognition of the OCU". However, Romfea didn't say anything of the kind, noting that to define further course of events is"privilege of the Primate".

On August 29, the UOC Information Center published the news "UOC explained the decision of Greek Synod on the OCU". It presents the opinion of the Deputy Chairman of the Department of External Church relations of the UOC MP, Archpriest Mykolai Danilevych and Metropolitan Luka (Kovalenko) of Zaporizhia. Both representatives of the UOC (MP) insist that the Greek Synod “did not declare anything about the canonicity or non-canonicity of granting autocephaly to the OCU; the Synod simply agreed with the right of Constantinople to do so.” Although previously, the ROC, including the UOC (MP) denied the right of Constantinople to do so, considering Ukraine its canonical territory. However, later the representatives of the UOC (MP) interpret the decision of the Greek Synod in the abstract manner, as a general right of Constantinople, without reference to the Ukrainian Church, although in the Synod's press release notes that we are referring to the “Ukrainian question” and “the privilege of the Primate of the Church of Greece to pursue with the settlement of the issue of the recognition of the Church of Ukraine."

On the same day, August 29, the Information Center of the UOC in its publication "Greek theologian Fr Theodore Zisis: those who recognize the OCU will be outside the Church," listed among their allies and authorities Fr Theodore Zisis, who in 2017 severed relations with the Greek Church, seceding into schism; and the Orthodox Church back in 2011 withdrew his books out of print, because his position contradicts the official position of the Russian Orthodox Church and compromise the Supreme authority of the Constantinople and Greek Orthodox Churches." Moreover, the opinion of Theodore Zisis was taken by the "UOC Information Center" from the publication on the website of the Publishing House "Holy Mountain" (Moscow), which the Publishing Board of the ROC dissaociated themselves from for "unauthorized use by the Publishing House of the Publishing Board's signature stamp," and the publication of questionable books written by Zisis. In turn, the website of "the Holy Mountain" reprinted publication of Zisis, which was used by the "UOC Information Center", with the opposition conservative Greek blog Аktines, where the article appeared on June 25, two months prior to these Synodal events.

Such manipulations by the official media of the UOC (MP) create a distorted view of the attitude of the Church of Greece to the events in Ukraine. In the same manner, the official website of the UOC (MP) spread disinformation three times in 2019 regarding the Athos attitude to the OCU.