Newly-elected head of the Church of Finland criticizes ROC

Head of the Finnish Orthodox Church. Photo: aamunkoitto.fi

Metropolitan Elia (Wallgren), the newly elected Primate of the Finnish Orthodox Church (the jurisdiction of the Phanar), outlined his principled position on Russian aggression and the role of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) in this conflict in his first statement after his election, reports the edition Aamun koitto.

Metropolitan Elia sharply criticized the official line of the ROC, stressing that the restoration of inter-church relations in the near future is impossible. “Even after the end of the war, a return to previous relations is impossible,” he said, noting that the ROC leadership fully supports the ideology of the so-called “Russian world”.

His position continues the line laid down by the previous Primate, Metropolitan Leo, who also openly condemned the ROC's actions, calling them “Manichaean heresy”.

As the UOJ reported, the newly-elected Metropolitan Elia will travel to Istanbul on 29 November, where he will take part in a meeting of the Synod of the Patriarchate of Constantinople on 1 December. The Synod is to formally approve his candidacy for the post of Primate.

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