Lost count: Dumenko says OCU is recognized by five Churches

Epiphany Dumenko at a meal. Photo: a screenshot of the "New Time" YouTube channel

The head of the OCU, Sergei (Epiphany) Dumenko, said that his religious structure had already been recognized by five Local Orthodox Churches.

During his trip to Ivano-Frankivsk, Dumenko told reporters that the OCU is "gradually" gaining recognition from the Local Churches.

“Now we make up a third together – five local Orthodox Churches have recognized our autocephaly. We’re working with others, and I would not want to get ahead of myself. Because there are many Orthodox Churches that are working their way up to it to make an appropriate decision,” Dumenko said.

Epiphany did not want to name the Churches that have already "got ready" since, in his words, "pressure from the Russian side immediately begins".

Until now it has been known about the recognition of the OCU by four Local Churches: Constantinople, Greеk, Alexandrian and Cypriote. In the Churches of Greece and Cyprus, part of the hierarchs still do not consider Sergei Dumenko a bishop and refuse to recognize the OCU as a Church.

As reported earlier, according to Dumenko, the communities of the UOC belong to the OCU, although they do not want it.

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