Serbia and Ukraine

On January 5, 2019, in an interview with the TV channel “Temple”, His Holiness the Patriarch of Serbia Irinej spoke in detail on issues related to the crisis of inter-church relations in the context of the actions of Constantinople in Ukraine. The Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church expressed the opinion that the breakdown of relations between the Moscow and Constantinople Patriarchs on the Ukrainian church question on the scale of the possible tragic consequences can be ranked in line with the separation of the Eastern and Western Churches in 1054, which lasts for centuries and does not see any prospects for overcoming still. The Patriarch of Serbia, Iriney, noted that the settlement of the church situation in Ukraine and the resolution of the problem of the Ukrainian split could be facilitated by the holding of a Council of representatives of all the Local Orthodox Churches. However, the Patriarch of Constantinople, not consulting with anyone, but probably being in collusion with some other forces of the world, tried to solve this issue independently and, as we see today, in the most disastrous way, suggesting that the split in Ukraine be legalized and continued. The head of the Serbian Orthodox Church pointed out the paradoxical nature of the current situation, mentioning that the Patriarchate of Constantinople itself had recognized in its time the bans imposed on the leaders of the Ukrainian schism. Moreover, the Patriarch stressed, the question of the canonical status of Ukraine was resolved three centuries ago. As is known, in 1686, the Most Holy Patriarch of Constantinople, Dionysius IV, and the Holy Synod of the Church of Constantinople signed a letter confirming the stay of the Kiev Metropolis within the Moscow Patriarchate. This position persisted for three hundred years, ”His Holiness recalled. His Holiness underlined that today the Ukrainian Orthodox Church , which enjoys wide autonomy, has over 90 bishops in Ukraine, where the majority of the population remained loyal to the tradition of relations between the Ukrainian Church and the Russian Church. His Holiness Patriarch Irinei sees certain political motives in the current actions of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. If we exclude politics, then the canonical moment is quite clear, ”noted the Patriarch of Serbia, Irinei, expressing confidence that in due time all the Local Orthodox Churches would express an opinion on the situation. We have in mind canonical principles and canonical order, ”Patriarch Iriney said, stressing that the Serbian Orthodox Church does not stand for Moscow or for Constantinople, but for canonical truth. Patriarch Iriney testified that the Serbian Orthodox Church honors the Patriarchate of Constantinople as its Mother Church, wishing that it retain the authority it enjoyed in history. At the same time, the Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church noted with regret that the current Patriarch of Constantinople with non-canonical actions in Ukraine had questioned his reputation.