Metropolitan Onufriy: Decisions of the Council of particular Churches will not be Pan-Orthodox

His Beatitude Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine Onufriy commented on the situation that has developed around the Pan-Orthodox Council, which is to be held in mid-June, in an interview to the Synodal Department for Information and Education of the UOC.

Metropolitan Onufriy commented on the reasons for the decision of the Russian Orthodox Church not to participate in the Council on 19 June. "Today the world is developing in a new format. In this new format of human life, unfortunately, there is no place for the Orthodox Church. We feel deep concern about this, so we are trying to find such a place where we would be able to exist legally."

"The first thing to do is to create a governing body of the Orthodox Church, represented in the whole world. Since the Orthodox Church is the Cathedral Church, it is clear that such a governing body must be the Cathedral (Council)," stressed the Primate.

Metropolitan Onufriy said that the first attempt failed. "Our Church is trying to do everything possible to correct the Conciliar documents, but unfortunately this did not happen. So we joined the proposals of those churches who believe that the Council should be postponed to a later date. Processes to safeguard the Truth of God and unite all around this Holy Truth are long and laborious, but with God's help, everything can be done," he said.

Speaking about an appeal to Constantinople Patriarch Bartholomew on the part of some people’s deputies of Ukraine, Onufriy said that it "is a direct violation of the status of relations between the state and the Church. According to our laws, the Church is separated from the state, and the state – from the Church. The intervention of some MPs in the affairs of the Church is a direct violation of state law. I would advise such deputies to better think how to carry out their direct duties that they have towards our people, and Christ, Who is the Head of our Church, will decide Church questions without them,” said the Metropolitan.

“As for the Ukrainian Orthodoxy, I will say this – if politicians do not interfere in our problems, we would have found the path to unity a long time ago,” concluded the Primate of the UOC.

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