Filaret: No anathema of Phanar matters to me

The head of the UOC-KP Filaret Denisenko. Photo: focus.ua

The head of the UOC-KP Filaret Denisenko said in an interview with the ZIK channel that anathema or other possible punishments from the Patriarchate of Constantinople or Epiphany Dumenko did not matter to him.

In particular, in response to a journalist’s question about possible reprisals by the Patriarchate of Constantinople for the head of the UOC-KP, Filaret said that all the punishments by the Phanar and the OCU would not matter to him: “This does not concern me. Whatever they accept towards me, it does not concern me.”

He compared the possible anathema from the Patriarchate of Constantinople with the anathema that the Russian Orthodox Church once imposed on him. However, according to him, "Patriarch Kirill later said that the anathema did not work."

“Also, in this situation, even if there is some kind of reaction from the side of the Patriarch of Constantinople or from “Metropolitan” Epiphany, then this does not concern me. I’m walking the straight road, and may God grant me strength so that I don’t leave it,” Filaret said.

In addition, the head of the UOC-KP said that “in Soviet times, a state official told me that it would be the end for you because we were entering communism. And I told that we lived under socialism, we would live under communism, that is the Church, because if you didn’t tolerate us in communism, then there would be no communism, but the Church would survive.”

According to Denisenko, “this is how it is – if they impose anathemas or something else, it does not matter to me.” I know that where God is, there will be a victory. And I firmly believe in it and it gives me strength – the strength to fight and defend the truth.”

We recall that earlier Patriarch Bartholomew said that the Russians unfairly called Filaret Denisenko the self-proclaimed metropolitan, in fact, he is a person who is very loved and respected.

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