ROC comments on remarks of US ambassador to Greece about split in Orthodoxy

Vladimir Legoida. Photo: pravkuban.ru

On December 11, 2020, Vladimir Legoida, Chairman of the ROC Synodal Department for Church Relations with Society and the Media, commented on the remarks of the US Ambassador to Greece that the ROC was to blame for the split in World Orthodoxy.

Responding to Payett's allegations that "the ROC is trying to undermine the unity of Orthodoxy" because of the Tomos of the OCU, Vladimir Legoida reminded that "this American diplomat was the US ambassador to Ukraine during the events on the Maidan and together with Victoria Nuland distributed notorious ‘State Department cookies’ on the streets of Kyiv.”

The representative of the ROC stated that "in the rhetoric of the US ambassador to Athens there is a clearly inappropriate mixing of interstate issues and issues of inter-church relations."

He also stressed that "the attempt to accuse Russia and the Russian Church of splitting World Orthodoxy which was actually initiated by the State Department with the hands of Phanar" looks cynical.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that the US ambassador to Greece accused the ROC of splitting World Orthodoxy.

Read also

OCU chaplain: A soldier should not feel guilty for killing enemies

According to a cleric of the OCU, the word “killing” should not even be used in this context.

AFU servicewoman punished by “being sent to the frontline” for defending UOC

An OCU representative explained how commanders punish UOC believers who defend their Church.

UOC church seized after OCU's and UGCC's provocation at soldier's funeral

Supporters of the UGCC brought the body of a soldier into the church, pressuring a UOC priest to conduct the funeral according to the Greek Catholic rite in an Orthodox church.

UOC hierarch calls on the faithful to pray for the return of seized shrine

Metropolitan Theodosiy urged the faithful to communal and personal prayer to Archangel Michael.

Russian Orthodox Church Primate: Christ did not condemn death penalty

The Patriarch added that, although the Church does not welcome the death penalty, it has never condemned it if this punishment is carried out in accordance with the law.

Metropolitan Jonathan appeals sentence to Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has requested criminal case files from the Vinnytsia City Court for cassation review.