Patriarch Kirill: Head of Phanar considers himself first above all others

Patriarch Kirill and TV presenter Boris Korchevnikov. Photo: volgeparhia.ru

In an interview with Spas TV channel Director General Boris Korchevnikov on Russia 1 on November 20, 2021, Patriarch Kirill said that Patriarch Bartholomew considers himself first above all others, rather than first among equals, patriarchia.ru reports.

"I think there are two reasons. The first is the complete false self-understanding of Patriarch Bartholomew, who considers himself the leader of the Orthodox world. From the point of view of Orthodox ecclesiology, he is the first among equals, but he considers himself not the first among equals, but the first above all others. It means he is tempted by the same idea, which implementation led to the division of Christianity into Eastern and Western. And now, I am not afraid to say it, the same issue of power has already split the Orthodox Church on the personal initiative of Patriarch Bartholomew," said Patriarch Kirill.

The Primate of the ROC called it a tragic page in the history of the Orthodox Church and called for overcoming the schism and strengthening Orthodoxy.

“All of us, notably the Primates of the Local Orthodox Churches, need to do everything possible to celebrate the Divine Eucharist together around a single Throne, strengthening the Orthodox faith among our contemporaries. So that the Church can become a spiritual force capable of helping people find ways in this very difficult modern life,” added Patriarch Kirill.

The head of the ROC also mentioned a political factor that could also have a strong impact on Patriarch Bartholomew’s decision-making.

"The position of the Patriarchate of Constantinople is always very unstable. The patriarchate was and still is under the control of non-Orthodox political forces. In my opinion, Patriarch Bartholomew is obliged not really to obey but to correlate his position with the liberal context that exists in Western European countries and the United States," added the Holy Patriarch Kiril.

As previously reported by the UOJ, Patriarch Kirill stated that Russophobia in Ukraine would soon disappear from the agenda.

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