Filaret: UOC KP diaspora can’t be forced to be with Fanar without wish

Filaret Denisenko

On April 27, 2019, "His Holiness Patriarch of All Rus-Ukraine" Filaret Denisenko gave an interview to the “Radio Liberty”.

The “Honorary Patriarch” explained that the eparchies of the UOC KP which are outside Ukraine decide for themselves whether to join the Constantinople Patriarchate or not.

“The fact is that, according to the Tomos, the OCU should not include parishes and eparchies which are located outside Ukraine. This is written in the Tomos. But it does not depend on us, that is, on the OCU. It depends on those eparchies and those parishes that are outside Ukraine.

If they want to be part of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, we cannot object. But if parishes in Europe, America, Russia, and throughout the world do not want to become part of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, then we cannot force them. Neither can we drop them. And therefore, because they do not want to move away from us, we consider them to be ours,” Filaret stressed.

Commenting on the statement of “Metropolitan” Joasaph (Shibaev), a permanent member of the Holy Synod of the UOC KP and the former archimandrite of the ROCOR, who stated that a “church overthrow took place at the Unification Council, in which they replaced by deception not only the Primate of the Church (UOC KP – Ed.) but also the Church itself was directed along a false path, they made a lie the beginning of its existence", Denisenko said: "There is much to disagree with. But I must say that Metropolitan Joasaph of Belgorod wrote the truth.”

As the UOJ reported, earlier Denisenko stated that the Local Orthodox Churches are not in a hurry to recognize the OCU due to the influence of Moscow, but over time, everyone will recognize it, including the ROC.

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