Georgian hierarch on Tomos for OCU: Triumph of the schism spirit
The Tomos granted by the Phanar to the OCU ignores the fact that the majority of Orthodox Ukrainians remain under the UOC, explains Metropolitan John of Rustavi.
The situation is being exacerbated by the statements and interference of political figures, His Eminence Metropolitan John of Rustavi of the Georgian Orthodox Church wrote on his Facebook page. His comments were also translated and published on the site of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s Department for External Church Affairs.
The development of events in the Ukraine are “an acute problem that has arisen in the world Orthodox Church,” with the canonical and majority Church being ignored. The Georgian Orthodox Church, by the resolution of the Holy Synod of December 27, 2018, expressed its attitude towards granting autocephaly, that is, the independence of the Church in Ukraine.
“The military confrontation between regions of Ukraine, which has been going on for more than 3 years already, should not develop into a religious confrontation of people confessing one faith. The common concern of the world Orthodox Church is the preservation of the unity of the people of the same faith. The statements and declarations of the private views of politically-biased people makes it difficult to maintain a healthy position,” the Georgian hierarch writes.
The metropolitan also recalls that the canonical framework of the Orthodox Church was formulated by the great Ecumenical and Local Councils of the 4th to 8th centuries: “The resolutions of these Councils clearly define the relationship to schismatic groups and to those excommunicated from the Church. The norms of their return to the bosom of the Church are also defined. These canons are based on the holy Gospel and Apostolic Tradition.”
Met. John continues: “The hierarchs of the global Church remember how in the 1990s they negatively assessed the separation from the Mother-Church of the former Exarch of Ukraine Metropolitan Filaret.”
Unfortunately however, as the Georgian metropolitan notes, “the Patriarchate of Constantinople unilaterally and alone decided to grant the status of an autocephalous church to clergy who had been in schism for years.”
Characterizing Patriarch Bartholomew’s actions, Met. John adds: “The unity of the Orthodox Church is based not on the sole, Papist principle, but on conciliarity, which is reflected in the Nicene Creed.”
Met. John also notes that the conditions stipulated in the tomos granted to the new Ukrainian church by Patriarch Bartholomew on January 6 are actually more consistent with autonomy than autocephaly.
He also laments that the tomos is silent about the fact that the majority of Orthodox Ukrainians remain in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church that is autonomous under the Moscow Patriarchate and who therefore represent part of the fullness of the world Orthodox Church.
“Therefore, we are guided by the principles of law and economia, so that the spirit of schism would not reign among us,” the Georgian hierarch testifies.
He concludes with a call to prayer: “Let us pray for the restoration of unity in the Ukrainian people, with whom we share the same faith.”
As the UOJ reported, earlier the Georgian Patriarchate declared the inadmissibility of pressure on it by politicians and non-governmental organizations in order to recognize the OCU.
