Filaret: Patriarch Bartholomew seeks to destroy Kiev Patriarchate
The existence of the UOC-KP is not beneficial for the head of Phanar, since the Kiev Patriarchate is “a truly independent Orthodox Church”, Filaret said.
“Patriarch of Kiev and All Rus-Ukraine” Filaret Denisenko explained why, in his opinion, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople persistently seeks the destruction of the Kiev Patriarchate.
“Why did the Ecumenical Patriarch so persistently seek and continue to seek the destruction of the Kiev Patriarchate? Because the Kiev Patriarchate is a truly independent Orthodox Church. De facto independent,” Filaret emphasized during the press conference “Revival of the Kiev Patriarchate”.
He added that the rights and freedoms granted by the status of the metropolis differ from the rights and freedoms of the patriarchate, since the metropolis can be dependent on anyone.
“We have 2 such metropolises in Ukraine, one of which depends on the Moscow Patriarch, and the other – OCU – depends on the Patriarch of Constantinople,” the head of the UOC-KP noted.
Filaret also said that he did not intend to abandon the “patriarchal order” established by his predecessors. In his opinion, the OCU will disintegrate and victory will be on the side of the Kiev Patriarchate.
“The truth is with us, and where the truth is, there is God, and where God is, there is a victory. We are convinced that the victory is ours! ”he concluded.
Recall that Patriarch Bartholomew himself earlier shifted the blame for the Filaret schism and the lack of love for schismatics to the “Russians”. He also said that it was the “Russians” who called Filaret a dissenter, while the people love him very much.