Russian Orthodox Church Vows Tough Response To Constantinople Over Ukraine Church Decision

Sumaira FH Published October 13, 2018 | 09:36 PM

The Russian Orthodox Church will give a tough response to the decision of the Synod of the Constantinople Patriarchate to process with granting independence to the Ukrainian Church, the spokesman for Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill said on Saturday.

MINSK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th October, 2018) The Russian Orthodox Church will give a tough response to the decision of the Synod of the Constantinople Patriarchate to process with granting independence to the Ukrainian Church, the spokesman for Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill said on Saturday.

"The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church will give an adequate and tough response," Alexander Volkov told reporters.

The Synod is scheduled to meet in the Belarusian capital of Minsk on October 15.

On Thursday, the Synod of the Constantinople Patriarchate announced that it would proceed to the granting independence to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine, which is currently split into three major churches � the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) of Moscow Patriarchate, the non-canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Kiev Patriarchate (UOC-KP), which was created after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the so-called Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church.

The synod announced that it lifted the anathema from the heads of the two non-canonical churches that had been excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church for their schism. The Constantinople Patriarchate also revoked its decision to grant Moscow Patriarchate the right to ordain the Metropolitan of Kiev, which dates back to 1686.

The synod's decision has been welcomed by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, who looks to establish a single independent church in the country.

The Russian Orthodox Church called the synod's decision the "legalization of schism," saying that it would have catastrophic consequences and would affect millions of Christians in Ukraine and other countries. The Moscow-affiliated Ukrainian Orthodox Church said that the synod's decision was a hostile act, interfering with the Ukrainian church's affairs, and threatened the Constantinople patriarch with anathema.