Journalist: Head of Phanar spoke to Zoria about church raids face-to-face

Evstratiy Zoria, Epifaniy Dumenko, Patriarch Bartholomew. Photo: OCU

Belarusian journalist and theologian Natallia Vasilevich shared an episode on her Telegram channel related to the position of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew regarding the situation with seizures of churches in Ukraine. According to her, Patriarch Bartholomew expressed his deep concern about the violence and seizures associated with the activities of the OCU (Orthodox Church of Ukraine) during a conversation with OCU spokesperson Evstratiy Zoria. During a liturgy in Tallinn last June, the head of the Phanar told Zoria that the unity of the Church cannot be built on violence.

Patriarch Bartholomew, who took responsibility for the creation of the OCU and granted it the Tomos of Autocephaly, is now facing serious risks and costs, both personally and for the unity of global Orthodoxy. According to Vasilevich, the church seizures and violence supporting the OCU are undermining the reputation not only of Dumenko's structure (OCU) and Ukraine as a whole but also of Patriarch Bartholomew himself, placing him in a difficult position.

Vasilevich emphasized that such actions radicalize society, undermine the rule of law, and create a moral burden for the faithful of the OCU who oppose violence. These events tarnish the reputation of the Ecumenical Patriarch, who extended his omophorion over the OCU and now has to deal with the consequences of these actions.

Previously, the UOJ published a chronicle of the seizure of the St. Michael's Cathedral of the UOC in Cherkasy.

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