Met. Mitrofan: Phanar doesn’t want to say "no" to Ukrainian authorities

Metropolitan Mitrofan of Lugansk and Alchevsk

Metropolitan Mitrofan said this in an interview with the "Glavkom".

"We need to know Greek diplomacy, the Greek technique of resolving issues," said Vladyka. "They do not want to directly call them schismatics. Although they are so: that very Filaret, the structure that he heads. They say, we will grant autocephaly if you unite, if there is a single Church, including if the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate asks. But they do not talk about this. Instead, they begin to negotiate, send their representatives to the Local Churches. They do not want to say "no" to the Ukrainian authorities."

According to Metropolitan Mitrofan, dialogue is the right way, because it is necessary to know the position of the other Local Churches before making such an important decision, which is of great importance not only for the Ukrainian, but for the world Orthodoxy. At the same time, the hierarch stated that Phanar would not be willing to grant the Tomos.

"Constantinople understands very well that to begin with, it is necessary to overcome the schism, and then grant autocephaly," the Bishop said. "Autocephaly cannot be a cure for schism, it can only be a consequence of its overcoming."

The hierarch noted that one of the options, more or less justified canonically, could be the creation of the structure of Constantinople in Ukraine.

"But even here a problem arises: you cannot create two structures on one canonical territory," the metropolitan specified. "But this happened in Estonia, there is an experience, the Greeks can go for it. This is firstly. Secondly, how they will accept those who wish to enter this structure. We are against this. Because this will finally put an end to the hopes for the unity of Orthodoxy in Ukraine."

Earlier, the UOC warned that the arrival of Constantinople in Ukraine would conserve the division for centuries.

On April 19, the Verkhovna Rada approved the "church initiatives" of President Poroshenko on the establishment of the Single Local Church in Ukraine. 268 deputies voted in favor of the President's Appeal to Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople.

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