ROC: Bartholomew has no right to call himself the leader of Orthodoxy
The ROC pointed to the Phanar head's responsibility for undermining the Church unity and confirmed its openness to pan-Orthodox discussion of the current situation.
Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople has no right to speak on behalf of the entire world Orthodoxy and claim to be its leader. This is stated in the decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, following the meeting on September 23-24, 2021, reports Patriarchia.ru.
The Synod noted that "the noble deeds of the ever-memorable Holy Patriarchs of Constantinople in the past do not justify the current canonical crimes of Patriarch Bartholomew, who supported the schism and entered into church communion with persons who call themselves Orthodox bishops but do not have canonical ordination".
It is stressed that by supporting the schism in Ukraine, Patriarch Bartholomew lost the trust of millions of believers, and “in conditions when the majority of Orthodox believers in the world are not in church communion with him, he no longer has the right to speak on behalf of the entire world Orthodoxy and claim to be its leader".
The Synod confirmed the loyalty of the Moscow Patriarchate to the norms of canon law and the generally recognized principles of inter-Orthodox cooperation, as well as its openness to a pan-Orthodox discussion of the situation in world Orthodoxy.
“The responsibility for undermining the unity of the Orthodox Church lies entirely with Patriarch Bartholomew as a result of his anti-canonical actions,” the Russian Orthodox Church stressed.
In conclusion, the Synod expressed support for the Primate and the fullness of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church "in their standing for the truth, in their faithfulness to the canonical unity of the Church".
The meeting was held on September 23-24 in Moscow under the chairmanship of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’. The ROC Synod condemned the visit of Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople to Ukraine and called it a gross violation of the canons.
