Pat. Theodore responds to Serbian Patriarch on protection of Lavra abbot

Patriarch Theodore said that he stands for human rights, but only "if he respects and observes the laws of his country, as well as the rights of his fellow citizens", reports the website of the Patriarchate of Alexandria.

However, he said, "The Patriarchate of Alexandria has long been suffering from the well-known case of the Russian Church's illegal intrusion within the boundaries of the present Patriarchal jurisdiction."

Comparing the actions of the ROC in establishing an exarchate in Africa to the actions of "wolves who plunder the flock" (Dn. 20, 29), the Patriarch of Alexandria asked the Patriarch of Serbia why he remained silent and did not show the same sensitivity to the Orthodox Christians of Africa, who are "spiritually poisoned by the Moscow Patriarchate".

The head of the Church of Alexandria also emphasised that in his letter, the Serbian Patriarch mentioned Ukraine "wrapped in flames" without naming "the perpetrator of this war of aggression against the Orthodox people".

"Our Russian Orthodox brothers are deliberately tearing apart the seamless chiton of Jesus Christ by pouring poison into the Second See of Alexandria, which has benefited the Russian Church by consolidating its autocephalous status," the Alexandrian patriarch wrote.

"We appreciate the sensitivity of Your Patriarchal conscience to the God-given principle of justice and expect you to immediately condemn these uncanonical and unethical actions, praying fervently that such anti-Christian and anti-clerical actions by our Northern brethren do not knock on your own door tomorrow with fanciful accusations but with dramatic pan-Orthodox consequences," Patriarch Theodore wrote.

Earlier, Patriarch Porfirije called on all Churches to condemn the persecution against the UOC.