A “face-saving” deal: UOC about meeting of President with Phanar delegation

Delegation of the Constantinople Patriarchate met with President Petro Poroshenko

If you look at the official part of the meeting, the words and the reaction of the President, it seems they have agreed to look for a possibility to "save face". This was written by the deputy head of the UOC DECR, Protopriest Nikolai Danilevich, on his Facebook page.

"The President was transferred a message from Patriarch Bartholomew, translated into Ukrainian and voiced by vladyka Hilarion (Rudnik) ... Having listened to the text of the message by this link (https://glavcom.ua/.../poroshenko-vstretilsya-s-delegaciey-vs...), I can say that there is nothing unusual, extraordinary, or something we haven’t heard before which Patriarch Bartholomew said," the clergyman writes.

According to Father Nikolai, the message says about restoration of the canonical unity of the Orthodox in Ukraine. "The Ecumenical Patriarchate hopes for the restoration of the canonical unity of the Orthodox in Ukraine ... We pray that the blessed people will once again receive one and only church leadership, restore canonicity, heal splits" (if I heard correctly at the 11th minute 41 second, perhaps I am mistaken???) . "So it's exactly the same as we say," he explains.

"So, if you look at the official part of the meeting, the words and the reaction of the President, you get the impression that they agreed to negotiate to save their face. So far, it all looks like this. Everything is quiet," the clergyman believes.

On July 27, the delegation of the Patriarchate of Constantinople met with President Petro Poroshenko. The message was sent to the President by Patriarch Bartholomew.

The President thanked Patriarch Bartholomew "for the constant care the Mother Church takes in relation to Ukrainian believers." He said that Ukraine hopes for a decision on granting the Tomos.

In mid-April, Poroshenko appealed to Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople with a request to grant Tomos on autocephaly to the Church in Ukraine and announced the creation of a Single Local Church. The Verkhovna Rada supported the petition of the President. The Kiev Patriarchate has already stated they see their leader Filaret, anathematized by the canonical Church, as a head of the SLC.

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