Phanar's hierarch meets with Filaret in Kiev
The Constantinople Patriarchate continues to care about OCU’s consolidation and is ready to solve the religious issue of Ukraine through diplomacy, Greek media reported.
On May 22, 2019, the hierarch of the Church of Constantinople, Metropolitan Emmanuel (Adamakis) of France, met with Honorary Patriarch of the OCU Filaret Denisenko, the Greek news agency Romfea.gr reported.
According to Greek journalists, Phanar continues to support the newly created church structure and intends to solve the problems encountered by the OCU at the diplomatic level.
Earlier, Filaret said that dependence on Phanar was enshrined in the Tomos for OCU. He said that the new church structure is now struggling for independence from Constantinople and for Ukraine to have its own Patriarchate. “Both Metropolitan Epiphany and the Patriarch of Constantinople do not want Ukraine to have the Patriarchate,” he concluded.
According to Filaret, this unification is hindered by the desire of some "hierarchs" of the OCU to be subordinated to the Patriarchate of Constantinople. “If the hierarchs uphold the complete independence of the Ukrainian Church, then it is necessary to unite with such hierarchs. And if the bishops want to change the subordination of Moscow in favor of Istanbul, then it is difficult to unite with such. How can one unite when the goal is different? Some are for the independent Ukrainian Church, for the Kiev Patriarchate. And others – for dependence but not on Moscow now, but on Istanbul,” shared Filaret with TV viewers.
