Greek media: Phanar sows violence and split in Ukraine instead unity

Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople

In the annual report of the UNHCR, special attention was paid to violations of the rights and freedoms of believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which extremely stepped up after Constantinople had granted the Tomos on autocephaly to the newly formed church structure in Ukraine. Thus, as analysts of the Greek edition orthodoxostypos.gr noted, Phanar’s actions, instead of bringing peace and harmony, sowed violence and even greater split in Ukraine.

According to the UNHCR Office, the granting of autocephaly aggravated the relationship between Orthodox in Ukraine, as evidenced by specific incidents that can be considered acts of intimidation against the clergy and laity of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

“This report casts a heavy shadow on Phanar,” the Greek edition notes, believing that this factor could not but darken the joy of an important event for Constantinople: the liturgy with the participation of Belgium's King Philip was to take place on the Week of Orthodoxy Triumph – for the first time in the history of this country, which was viewed as an important fact recognizing the global role of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Greek-speaking community.

“Cold and heat for the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew,” Greek analysts write. “’Heat’ is from high solemnities in Brussels, while ‘cold’ is from the UN offices in New York. Then again ‘cold’ comes from where Constantinople did not expect this – Athens: Archbishop Jerome of Athens and all Hellas made the decision to postpone the discussion of the Ukrainian issue."

The publication stressed that since the two other autocephalous Orthodox Churches of the Greek tradition – Cyprus and Albania – did not give a positive assessment of the actions of Patriarch Bartholomew in Ukraine, the "Greek Church will almost certainly follow its 'sister churches'”.

"The past week for Bartholomew is a real "Scottish shower," the authors concluded.

Recall, "Scottish shower" is a type of hydrotherapy, which produces the effect on the human body with two dense jets of water from two different hoses: one with hot water, the other with cold.

As reported by the UOJ, Phanar’s obligations to establish contacts between the OCU and the Local Churches are specified in the Agreement on Cooperation and Interaction between Ukraine and the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and Patriarch Bartholomew signed on November 3, 2018 in Istanbul.

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