Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew / Βιντεοσκοπημένη παρέμβαση έκανε ο Οικουμενικός Πατριάρχης Βαρθολομαίος στην εσπερίδα που διοργάνωσε ο Οργανισμός Ανάδειξης Ελληνικού και Ορθόδοξου Πολιτισμού “ΑΕΝΑΟΣ”, yesterday afternoon, at the Officers' Club, on the topic of Ukrainian Autocephaly and Russia's war against Ukraine.
The Ecumenical Patriarch emphasized that there is no relationship, direct or indirect, the granting of the Autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine has to do with geopolitical facts and with the unacceptable invasion of Russia in Ukraine.
As His Holiness stated, the war is artificially connected by the Church of Russia with the Ukrainian Autocephaly to cover its responsibilities and its great ambitions. “Αυτή ήταν που βάθυνε το χάσμα μεταξύ Ουκρανών και Ρώσων και όχι το Ουκρανικό Αυτοκέφαλο που δόθηκε στον δοκιμαζόμενο ουκρανικό λαό. Η αντίδραση της Ρωσίας απορρέει από προσπάθεια επιβολής επί του ουκρανικού λαού και από την απουσία υγιούς εκκλησιαστικής συνείδησης”, write down.
indeed, pointed out that the Church of Constantinople gave a helping hand to Russia to solve the Ukrainian, but the efforts were fruitless, at the fault of the Russian side, which however does not admit it.
“Η ηγεσία της Εκκλησίας της Μόσχας προσπαθεί να επιβάλει μια νέα εκκλησιολογία, which overturns the ecclesiastical order on the basis of new data. But he must understand that the Ecumenical Patriarchate is the only guarantee for the unity of Orthodoxy. Without the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Orthodoxy will fall into the vortex of nationalisms, in the introversion of self-sufficiency, στην περιφρόνηση του σύγχρονου κόσμου”, he stated. And he added that the Church of Russia still accuses the Ecumenical Patriarchate of being responsible for tensions in Orthodox relations, ενώ “αυτή είναι που δημιουργεί τις εντάσεις, the one that illegally entered the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, αμαυρώνοντας την εικόνα της Ορθοδοξίας στα μάτια του χριστιανικού κόσμου”.
The Ecumenical Patriarch, Moreover, stressed that the leadership of the Church of Russia considers that the intervention of the Ecumenical Patriarchate created a schism in Orthodoxy. “Για εμάς αυτό δεν ευσταθεί. The granting of the Autocephalous is a substantial contribution to the unity of Orthodoxy as a practical expression of Orthodox ecclesiology and long-standing ecclesiastical practice. Είναι οι πράξεις της Εκκλησίας της Ρωσίας που απειλούν την ενότητα της Ορθοδοξίας και όχι η ανταπόκριση του Οικουμενικού Πατριαρχείου στο αίτημα του ουκρανικού λαού”, underlined.
indeed, stated that it is the Church of Russia that has papal claims, not the Ecumenical Patriarchate. “Η Μόσχα δεν αναγνωρίζει το δικαίωμα στους Ουκρανούς να έχουν Αυτοκέφαλη Εκκλησία, because he wants to oppress them, she wants to turn Orthodoxy into a confederation of Churches to have a say. Its overtly arrogant and hegemonic mentality will highlight the pivotal role of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Orthodox discourse.
Ukrainian Autocephaly is an accomplished ecclesiastical fact and no propaganda and no war can cancel it. The Church of Russia ruthlessly pursues matricide. We are all witnesses to the catastrophe unfolding on Ukrainian soil. Πρέπει να επιτευχθεί αμέσως η κατάπαυση του πυρός”, the Ecumenical Patriarch pointed out and invited those Orthodox Autocephalous Churches that have not already done so to proceed with the recognition of the Autocephalous Church of Ukraine:
“Καλούμε όσες Ορθόδοξες Αυτοκέφαλες Εκκλησίες δεν το έχουν κάνει ακόμη να προχωρήσουν στην αναγνώριση, thus showing their support for the trying Ukrainian people and for the Church of Russia to apologize for the suffering it has caused Orthodoxy.
The insinuations about the connection of the war with the granted Autocephalus are figments of a morbid imagination to cover up the crime being committed in Ukraine today.
Ο Ορθόδοξος ουκρανικός λαός ποτέ δεν θα αποδεχθεί να συνεχίσει να υπάγεται η εκκλησία του στο Πατριαρχείο Μόσχας το οποίο ευλόγησε την εισβολή στην πατρίδα του”, he noted emphatically.
