OCU "hierarch”: Bartholomew's letter was read to us during the meal

Epifaniy Dumenko at the meal. Photo: a screenshot from the YouTube channel "Novoe Vremia"

The head of the Kherson Eparchy of the OCU, Nikodim Kulyhin, commented on a statement made by OCU cleric Andriy Kovalev, who claimed that the OCU risks losing the Tomos of autocephaly due to non-compliance with the document's conditions and ignoring calls by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew for unification with the UOC. In a broadcast on the "Espresso" TV channel, Kulyhin called these claims exaggerated and emphasized that the patriarch's letter was read during lunch after the assembly.

“When the esteemed Mr. Andriy writes that the Ecumenical Patriarch's letter was allegedly disregarded, this is absolutely untrue. On the contrary, we found the opportunity to address it, despite some delay, because the letter was received after the official part of the Local Council had already closed,” Kulyhin noted.

He explained that the letter was read during lunch, after the formal conclusion of the assembly. "The next part of the program was lunch. People had been participating in the Council since the morning and, of course, needed to refresh themselves afterward. Therefore, the letter was read during the meal, and a proposal was made to vote afterward. There were no objections from any participants of the Council. Everyone voted, including myself," the OCU cleric clarified.

Kulyhin also expressed confusion over the exaggeration of the situation, stating that an issue was made out of nothing.

Earlier, Andriy Kovalev stated that the OCU risks losing the Tomos, as Dumenko's organization is not fulfilling all the conditions, whose ultimate goal is the unification of all Orthodox Ukrainians into a single religious structure.

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