Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk: It is important not to rush into unilateral decisions that can only aggravate the division that has arisen

Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk: It is important not to rush into unilateral decisions that can only aggravate the division that has arisen Митрополит Волоколамский Иларион: Важно не спешить с односторонними решениями, которые могут лишь усугубить возникшее разделение print version October 10, 2019 14:45 Two main topics are discussed in recent days throughout the Orthodox world. This reunion of the Archdiocese of Western European parishes of Russian tradition with the Moscow Patriarchate is an accomplished historical event, as well as an extraordinary meeting of the hierarchs of the Church of Greece scheduled for October 12, at which it is expected to consider the sensitive topic of the recognition or non-recognition of Ukrainian schismatics. Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk told in an interview with RIA Novosti what these two events mean for world Orthodoxy and what consequences they may have. - Vladyka, with what feelings did you come across the news of the reunification of the Archdiocese of the parishes of Russian tradition in Western Europe with the Moscow Patriarchate? - With a feeling of deep relief and gratitude to God. An important page in the history of our Church has been turned. The process of reunification of the Russian diaspora under the omophorion of the Moscow Patriarch is over. The division that began a hundred years ago after the October Revolution was finally overcome. - In your opinion, what was the reason for the abolition of the Archdiocese of the Patriarch of Constantinople? - The logic of the actions of the Patriarch of Constantinople, starting in the spring of 2018, when he announced his intention to "grant autocephaly to Ukraine," defies explanation. But if, in the case of the legitimization of the Ukrainian schism, the Russian Church was harmed, then in the case of the abolition of the Archdiocese, the Patriarchate of Constantinople dealt a blow to itself. According to the teachings of the Holy Fathers, God turns evil to good consequences. The abolition of the Archdiocese was an evil deed, but it became the impetus for her reunion with the Mother Church. In 1931, she broke away from the Russian Church due to political circumstances, and this retreat was positioned by her head Metropolitan Eulogius as temporary. It was on a temporary basis that it was adopted by the Patriarchate of Constantinople, which then twice abolished it - once in 1965, the second time in 2018. - How did the Archbishopric receive the news of reunification with the Moscow Patriarchate? - In the cathedral on Ryu Darya, when this decision was announced, people greeted each other with the Easter cry “Christ is risen!” There were tears in the eyes of many. And in the remaining parishes following Archbishop John, this decision was perceived as joyful and long-awaited. “And how many priests did not follow him?” “You can compare photographs of two meetings that took place almost simultaneously.” One depicts the supporters of Constantinople, assembled by Metropolitan Emmanuel. They are all turned with their backs to the lens, and it’s difficult to calculate the exact number of people in the armchairs: in any case, there are not more than ten of them. And in another photo - the participants in the meeting, which decided to join the Moscow Patriarchate. They stand facing the lens, joy on their faces. There are about fifty clerics. According to the communiqué of the Archdiocese, 51 clergy from the participants in this meeting and another 37 clergy who were absent expressed a desire to join the Moscow Patriarchate. Total 84 clergymen. So we are talking about an absolute majority. - In a few days, the Greek Church will decide on the recognition or non-recognition of the structure created by Constantinople in Ukraine. What is your forecast, what are the fears and hopes? - The Greek Church is autocephalous, and I hope that it will make a responsible decision, corresponding to the spirit and letter of the church canons, without pressure from outside. The Church of Greece knows that the Ukrainian pseudo-church structure, which received a tomos from Constantinople, consists of people who do not have canonical ordinations. Part of its “hierarchs” comes from an impostor - a deacon who posed as either an Orthodox bishop or an Anglican priest and ended up behind bars. The other part comes from a former metropolitan anathematized. Can good water flow from rotten springs? Issuing a tomos of autocephaly to this group was a mistake on the part of Constantinople. But Patriarch Bartholomew was misinformed by the then Ukrainian authorities and his own experts on Ukrainian affairs. He was told that Poroshenko would remain in power and bring the liquidation of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church to an end, while Poroshenko shamefully failed in the election and left the political arena. The patriarch was told that after the granting of the tomos, almost all canonical bishops would join the new structure, but only two out of ninety joined. The patriarch was told that Moscow was holding Kiev in its arms, but it turned out that this was not so either: the Ukrainian Orthodox themselves overwhelmingly did not want a break with the Russian Church. Finally, the Patriarch was told that the tomos would unite all Ukrainian Orthodox. But he could not unite even the schismatics themselves. It is no coincidence that only a few months after the “unification council”, in which two schismatic structures were merged into one, a division reappeared within the split. And now the very founder of the schism, restored in the "rank" by the Patriarch of Constantinople, announced the withdrawal from the "PCU" and the re-establishment of the "Kiev Patriarchate". It is quite natural for a split that it is divided into parts. Once in Greece there was one old-style schism, but how many are there now? I am deeply convinced that time will put everything in its place. Now it’s important not to rush into unilateral decisions that can only aggravate the division that has arisen. Let's better wait for that blessed day when all Local Churches, moved by the Holy Spirit, will be able to come together and decide at the pan-Orthodox level the future of Ukrainian Orthodoxy. There are precedents for healing splits, including in the recent past. It is enough to recall the church cathedral in Sofia, convened to overcome the schism in the Bulgarian Church. It was chaired by Patriarch Bartholomew, with the participation of the heads and representatives of other Local Churches, and its result was the return of schismatics to the fold of the Church. In the case of Ukraine, another scenario was chosen, and therefore the result was just the opposite. There are many hierarchs in the Greek Church who are well aware of the real situation in Ukraine. They know that the vast majority of the Orthodox flock remains united around Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine . These are 12 thousand parishes, more than 200 monasteries and millions of believers. These believers know who the schismatics are, and they will never follow them. They will never exchange the life-giving currents of blessed water for rotten water. - Some Greek hierarchs are already threatening the Russian Church with isolation ... “Those who recognize the split will be in isolation.” We in the Russian Church feel the strong support of the Local Orthodox Churches. Some Churches have openly expressed their disagreement with the legitimization of the Ukrainian schism, while others tacitly disagree with it. I am sure that the vast majority of Local Churches both did not recognize and will not recognize this act in the future. So - sooner or later - you still have to return to this issue at the pan-Orthodox level. - How will the Russian Church behave if the Greek Church nevertheless recognizes the PCU? - And how would the Church of Greece behave if the Russian Church recognized one of the old-school schisms? I think the answer is obvious. When Constantinople granted the tomos of autocephaly to Ukrainian schismatics, we had no choice but to break the Eucharistic communion. Many Greek hierarchs did not understand this, found our reaction too harsh, leaving no room for dialogue. But let those who criticize us put themselves in our place. We are open to dialogue and hope for dialogue. We have repeatedly called for such a dialogue between the Patriarch of Constantinople. And now we are calling for issues of such importance to be resolved at the pan-Orthodox level, and not through unilateral decisions of individual Local Churches. If we cannot now resolve the issue without prejudice to church unity, let's take a break. We will give the Holy Spirit the opportunity to help us figure out what is difficult for us to figure out without His help. At every Divine Liturgy, we offer prayers for the unity of the Orthodox Church. We believe that this unity will be preserved, and the necessary decisions will be prompted over time to the All-Church Council by the Holy Spirit Himself, who will never leave our Church, for it is One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic, and the gates of hell will not prevail over it (Matthew 16:18) .