SOC hierarch: Most churches ignore citizen Dumenko

Hierarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Bishop Irinej of Bačka said that most of the Local Orthodox Churches continue to recognize Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine as canonical, ignoring citizen Sergei Dumenko. He said this in an interview with the Serbian publication “Печату”, which was posted on the official website of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

"Most of the Orthodox Churches have directly or tacitly perceived this action of the Constantinople Church as illegal, wrong and fraught with dangers for the unity of Orthodoxy, and that is why they continue to recognize Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine as canonical, and ignore citizen Sergei Dumenko," Bishop Irinej stressed.

The Serbian hierarch said that all those who warned the leadership of the Constantinople Church against interfering in the "Ukrainian issue" had in mind both ecclesiastical consequences and internal friction, including fratricidal violence in Ukraine.

"But it could not have been foreseen that conflicts among the Orthodox – regardless of whether they were either initiated or, after the outbreak, further encouraged by non-Orthodox and even outright anti-Christian forces, internal and even more so, external – would be used as a prologue and mise-en-scene for interstate conflict, with millions of refugees, urban destruction, tens of thousands of soldiers of both sides killed and wounded civilians," he said.

Bishop Irinej also called for unceasing prayers to the Lord for the speedy restoration of peace.

As reported, Serbian Patriarch Porfirije called for prayers for an end to the military conflict.