All Local Churches Concerned About Constantinople's Actions In Ukraine - UOC-MP Spokesman

All local Orthodox churches have taken the recent actions of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople in Ukraine with concern, Archpriest Mykolay Danylevych, deputy chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC DECR), said Tuesday.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th September, 2018) All local Orthodox churches have taken the recent actions of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople in Ukraine with concern, Archpriest Mykolay Danylevych, deputy chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC DECR), said Tuesday.

On Friday, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople said that he had appointed his bishop representatives in Kiev within the framework of preparations for granting autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine. This decision has been sharply condemned by the Moscow Patriarchate, which called it an invasion of the canonical territory of another local church. Metropolitan Hilarion, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, said that the Moscow Patriarchate would break off the eucharistic communion with the Patriarchate of Constantinople if they granted autocephaly to the Ukrainian Church.

"I know that in all the local churches are concerned about this development of events, and I want to say that, in fact, it will not benefit anyone, because the schism does not legalize it," Danylevych said.

In his opinion, the actions of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople on the establishment of autocephaly in Ukraine can only lead to a break in relations and eucharistic communion between the churches.

"It will breed a schism, and everyone will lose from this," he said.

UOC spokesman explained that none of the local churches recognized any Ukrainian church organizations that are in schism today.

"Because no one wants to enter this conflict, that is, there will not be a real recognition," Danylevych said.

Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem has expressed his support to the believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, who, during a meeting with Ukrainian pilgrims led by Metropolitan Luka of Zaporizhzhya and Melitopol, urged them to "hold on to their leader." Also, Archbishop Joachim of the Church of Czech Lands and Slovakia, wished Metropolitan Onufry and all his flock of firmness "in all trials."