Lavrov Calls Reaction To Recognizing Churches In Ukraine As Canonical Long-Term Issue

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th October, 2018) The situation around the decision of the Patriarchate of Constantinople to recognize the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate (UOC-KP) and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church as canonical and the negative reaction of local churches to it will be an issue for a long time, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

"The words of indignation by the majority of the local Orthodox churches have already been voiced. I believe that it is not just a reaction [which will be voiced] for one or two days, but rather a long-term issue," Lavrov said in an interview with RT France, Paris Match and Le Figaro.

"The idea is clear, [it is] to make one more step to tear Ukraine from Russia not only politically but also in the spiritual sense," Lavrov added.

On Monday, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) decided to completely "break the Eucharistic communion" with the Patriarchate of Constantinople after the latter launched preparations for granting autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine.

The Holy Synod also qualified the Istanbul-based patriarchate's move to revoke the 1686 act transferring the Kiev archdiocese to the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate as canonically void.

The Constantinople Patriarchate also ex parte lifted anathema from the heads of two non-canonical churches in Ukraine, the UOC-KP, which was created in 1992 after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the so-called Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, that had been excommunicated by the ROC for their schism. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) is the only canonical Orthodox Church in Ukraine.