Bishop of Greek Church: Patriarch Bartholomew decided to divide Orthodoxy
Metropolitan Ambrose of Kalavryta and Aigialeia criticized the actions of Patriarch Bartholomew in Ukraine, warning against the danger of further schisms in Orthodoxy.
The bishop of the Greek Orthodox Church expresses the fear that the Ecumenical Patriarch has set himself the task of dividing the Orthodox world. Met. Ambrose has released an appeal, published on Romfea.
While the Ecumenical Patriarch, according to Met. Ambrose, is supposed to symbolize unity in the Orthodox world and settle disputes and conflicts between Local Orthodox Churches and Church leaders, he seems to have set himself the task of dividing the Orthodox world.
Met. Ambrose believes that this trajectory began with the establishment of too-warm relations between Constantinople and the Vatican, followed by 2016’s so-called “Holy and Great Council” on Crete, whose resolutions, including the recognition of various Christian denominations as Churches, were antithetical to Orthodoxy.
The Greek bishop goes on to reproach Pat. Bartholomew for having ceased to be a guarantor of Church unity and trying to increase his own influence in the Orthodox world by any means possible. He also specifically criticizes Constantinople’s interference in Ukraine, exclaiming, “They’re claiming the schismatic Ukrainian church should receive recognition from the Ecumenical Patriarchate!”
“We have only few such problems,” Met. Ambrose added sarcastically, “and now our patriarch is on the verge of an ecclesiastical clash between the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Great Russian Church!”
“There’s a new Church schism at our door! If we add to this the internal disputes that arose after the Council in Kolymvari, then the state of Church affairs in our times becomes extremely tragic,” the Greek metropolitan resumed.
His Eminence has not been afraid to loudly criticize the Crete Council. In May of last year, he warned Pat. Bartholomew that it is a path to schism, and again in July of this year, he accused the hierarchs gathered at Crete of “having made traitorous decisions in regard to our holy Orthodoxy.”
