MP DECR: We're hopeful that Pat. Theodore will abandon his decision on OCU

Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev). Photo: doctorantura.ru

The Russian Orthodox Church does not lose hope that Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria will abandon his decision to recognize the Ukrainian schismatics. This was stated in an interview with RIA Novosti by the head of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate (DECR MP), Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk.

He confirmed that the requests of the clergy of the Alexandrian Patriarchate, who do not agree with the recognition of the OCU as their patriarch, to accept them into the Moscow Patriarchate "take place indeed", moreover, those are "mass appeals of clerics from different African countries."

“We have a sincere desire to provide them with all possible support,” said the hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church. "However, we have so far refrained from the decision to accept them into the jurisdiction of the Russian Church."

He explained that the ROC does not want to aggravate the divisions that are already taking place among Orthodox Christians in Africa due to the recognition of Ukrainian schismatics by the Patriarch of Alexandria.

“We still do not lose hope that Patriarch Theodore will give up on his decision,” stressed the head of the MP DECR.

We will remind, earlier the MP DECR said that hundreds of priests of the Alexandrian Church are willing to go under the omophorion of the Patriarch of Moscow.

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