Serbian Church refuses to recognize "reinstatement" of Filaret and Makariy

Заседание Архиерейского Собора Сербской Церкви

The Archbishops' Council of the Serbian Orthodox Church has criticized Constantinople's decision to rehabilitate the leaders of Ukrainian non-canonical churches Filaret and Makariy, says a statement published on November 12 on the website of the Serbian Orthodox Church following the meeting of the Archbishops' Council.

"First of all, the Council regrets that the Patriarchate of Constantinople made a canonically unjustified decision to rehabilitate the leaders of two schismatic groups in Ukraine: Filaret Denisenko and Makariy Maletich, along with their episcopate and clergy, of whom the former was once defrocked and then anathemized altogether, and the latter was stripped of the apostolic succession as the spiritual offspring of the sect of the so-called pseudo-saints. Therefore, the Holy Archbishops' Council considers this decision of the Constantinople Synod as non-binding for the Serbian Orthodox Church,” reads the statement.

The document also stresses that the Council of the Serbian Church does not recognize these individuals and their followers as bishops and clerics and, therefore, does not enter into liturgical and canonical communion with them and their supporters.

According to the official communique of the Phanar, the hierarchs of the Church of Constantinople decided to canonically reinstate Filaret Denisenko and Makariy Maletich “to their hierarchical or priestly rank”.

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