Metropolitan Theodosius: The Phanar hierarch’s report confirms the political nature of the OCU’s establishment

A report published by a clergyman from Constantinople on the events of 2018 related to the creation of the OCU has revealed the mechanisms behind the formation of the organization, which, according to church hierarchs, are far from canonical principles. According to , the Union of Orthodox Journalists (SPZ), Metropolitan Theodosius of Cherkasy and Kaniv called this document “the most honest testimony” that the fate of autocephaly was decided not by church norms, but by the government and security services.

In a comment to the UOJ, Metropolitan Theodosius emphasized that the chronicle presented—compiled for Patriarch Bartholomew—attests to the active interference of state structures in church affairs. According to the hierarch, the document describes situations in which negotiations took place in the presence of representatives of the presidential administration and the leadership of the security services, while the bishops were forced to remain under escort. His Eminence noted that even the Turkish ambassador, who was present at the events, expressed doubt regarding respect for the Church’s rights, pointing out the excessive influence of secular authorities.

The metropolitan also pointed out that the project to create a “single local” structure was positioned from the very beginning as a pre-election ploy. According to the bishop, the report documents attempts by the Phanar to consolidate its power through “sham concessions” and by coercing participants into dissolving their previous structures before the start of the “council,” in order to limit their room for maneuver. “Politics is politics, and canon law is canon law. When the two are mixed, what emerges is not a Church, but a legitimized schism,” concluded Metropolitan Theodosius.

It should be recalled that the “Unification Council” took place on December 15, 2018, with the participation of former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, and the Tomos of Autocephaly was presented in January 2019. Metropolitan Theodosius emphasized that, despite the pressure and promises, the episcopate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church remained faithful to its principles, and the publication of such reports only confirms the validity of the position of those who criticized the politicization of the ecclesiastical process.