The media publish a letter from Phanar head confirming Filaret's anathema

Patriarch Bartholomew. Photo: Blagovest

In 1997, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople confirmed Filaret Denisenko's anathema imposed by the Russian Orthodox Church. The document, the original of which is archived at the DECR MP, was shown on the air of the Pershy Nezalezhny by the cleric of the Kamensk Diocese of the UOC, Hieromonk Viacheslav Maksimenko.

The hieromonk explained that on March 6, 1997, Patriarch Alexy of Moscow and All Rus informed the head of Phanar about the decision of the Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, held in Moscow on February 18-23.

“With deep pain and grief, the Holy Council had to testify that former Metropolitan Filaret (Denisenko) and former priest Gleb Yakunin, who had been rooted in schism, did not heed the Church's call to repentance, unity, slandering the Church and blasphemously continuing to perform ‘sacred rites’. Bearing in mind the warning they received from the previous Council of Bishops of 1994, on the basis of the 28th Apostolic Canon, as well as the 14th Canon of the Sardicus Council, the 4th Canon of the Council of Antioch, the 88th Canon of St. Basil the Great and other church canons, the Holy Council of the Russian Orthodox Church resolved to excommunicate the monk Filaret (Mikhail Denisenko) and Gleb Yakunin through anathematization.

Having also studied the anti-clerical deeds of the clergy: Archimandrite Valentin (Rusantsov), Archimandrite Adrian (Starina), Abbot Ioasaf (Shibaev), previously banned from the priesthood, the Holy Council resolved to disgown them by virtue of the 13th Canon of the First-Second Council and to call them to repentance warning that in case of failure to perform penance they will be excommunicated from the Church. Notifying Your Beloved Holiness about this, we ask you not to enter into church communion with the aforementioned schismatics,” says Patriarch Alexy's letter.

The cleric of the UOC showed an answer from Phanar, which followed on April 15 of the same year. He presented the document in Greek, as well as its official translation.

“At the meeting of our Holy and Sacred Synod we read with due attention the Letter of Your Beloved and Most Holy Beatitude, dated March 6 of this year, No. 749, and informed our Holy Church of the canonical decision of our Synod regarding the anathematization of Filaret (Mikhail Denisenko) and Gleb Yakunin.

Concerning the anathematization of Filaret (Mikhail Denisenko) and Gleb Yakunin, as well as banning from the priesthood and relegation to the rank of laymen Valentin (Rusantsov), Adrian (Starina) and Ioasaf (Shibaev). Having received the notification about the mentioned decision, we informed the hierarchy of our Ecumenical Throne about it and asked them not to have any church communion with the above persons in the future,” the reply of Patriarch Bartholomew says.

Recall that in 2018, the Patriarch of Constantinople named the anathematized Filaret the former Metropolitan of Kyiv.

The UOJ also wrote that Filaret would like to meet with the head of Phanar when he arrives in Ukraine, but only as the “patriarch of Kyiv”.

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