The expert predicted the consequences Patriarch Kirill will face for trying to split the World Orthodoxy

The religious expert predicted the decision the Patriarchs might make regarding the actions of the patriarch of Moscow in an attempt to cause a split in world Orthodoxy.

"It is clear that now Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will not gather a Pan-Orthodox Council, so the Greeks decided to act more cunningly-they will restore the ancient institution of the pentarchy. That is the power of the five ancient churches: the patriarchates of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem, and the Church of Cyprus. This is a format that existed during the Byzantine Empire.

The pentarchy, on the one hand, has a somewhat nationalist connotation, since it includes only Greek Churches. However, it has canonical authority and consists only of those churches whose autocephaly was confirmed by Ecumenical Councils. And they are, informally, thus considered more complete, more legitimate autocephaly than the later Greek (Greek, Albanian), Slavonic and other (Georgian, Romanian) Churches.

Currently, out of five members of the pentarchy, the Russian Orthodox church is highly likely to condemn 3 churches that recognized the OCU – Constantinople, Alexandria and Cyprus. Jerusalem and Antioch are likely to remain neutral.

There is an option that 4 out of 5 will arrive at the Pentarchy court, and the decision to convict Patriarch Kirill can then be made by 3 out of 4, with one abstaining.

The Patriarchate of Jerusalem can theoretically join the "panel solidarity" and condemn the Russian Orthodox Church, but it is quite seriously dependent on Russian pilgrims and their money. The Antioch situation is aggravated by the presence of Russian troops in Syria. But in Orthodoxy, the territorial conflict between these two patriarchates has not yet been resolved, and Antioch does not appear where Jerusalem does. Therefore, there is an option that 4 out of 5 will arrive at the Pentarchy court, and the decision to convict Patriarch Kirill can then be made by 3 out of 4, with one abstaining.

The Russian Orthodox church is not expected to accept this trial, and this will mean a final split in world Orthodoxy. By the way, the Primate of the Albanian Church, Archbishop Anastasius, is already talking about this.

It is funny that the schism can happen under the leadership of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church Kirill, who was nominated for patriarch as a talented church diplomat and negotiator. God definitely has a sense of humor," Dmytro Horyevoy summed up.