Head of ROC DECR: U.S. authorities instigated split in Orthodoxy

Head of the OCU Epiphany and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Photo: pomisna.info

The split in the Orthodox world was inspired by the U.S. authorities, whose political strategy was first directed toward the alienation of the Ukrainian Church from the Russian Church and then toward the alienation of Greek Orthodoxy from Russian Orthodoxy. Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department for External Church Relations, said this on the air of Church and World program on Russia 24 channel, commenting on Mike Pompeo's recent statements that as Secretary of State, he personally ensured that the United States would help "the metropolitan of Orthodox Church of Ukraine escape Russian influence."

"American politicians are quite explicitly and shamelessly saying that they control not only political elites, political leaders of other states, but also quite openly interfere in interchurch policy," said Metropolitan Hilarion.

He reminded that Pompeo is not an Orthodox Christian and does not hold any position in the Orthodox Church, "but considers himself entitled to interfere in the affairs of the Orthodox Churches, says that he freed a certain 'Ukrainian metropolitan' from Russian influence. And what this means is simply that he supported the schism."

"One can even say that this schism was inspired by the American authorities, because they have long been living with the hope of further weakening Russia, and therefore further weakening of Orthodoxy," the head of the MP DECR added. “Therefore, a political strategy was developed that was aimed first at alienating the Ukrainian Church from the Russian Church, then at alienating Greek Orthodoxy from Russian Orthodoxy."

According to the metropolitan, "this project, by and large, has failed, but if Mr. Pompeo considers this his diplomatic victory and wants to leave the political scene against the backdrop of such triumphalist rhetoric, then it is a matter of his conscience, of course."

As the UOJ reported, Pompeo admitted interfering in Ukraine's internal religious affairs.

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