Patriarch Bartholomew: The establishment of the OCU required courage and determination on our part

Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, in an extensive interview with the Greek newspaper Kathimerini, reflected on his 35-year tenure as head of the Phanar. During the conversation, the patriarch touched on key milestones of his tenure, including the recognition of the Ukrainian schism and the granting of autocephaly to the OCU. This was reported by Orthodox Times.

Speaking about the recognition of Ukrainian schismatic groups and the granting of autocephaly to the OCU in 2019, Patriarch Bartholomew emphasized that “this decision was one of the most difficult of his entire ministry due to fierce opposition from Moscow.” According to the head of the Phanar, this step required “courage and determination” on his part and marked a turning point in relations between the Patriarchates of Constantinople and Moscow.

As a reminder, an internal document of the Patriarchate of Constantinople was previously leaked to the public, shedding light on the events surrounding the so-called “Unification Council” held in Kyiv in December 2018. According to a report by Metropolitan Gregory of Ancyra, the formation of the OCU took place under strict control by state authorities and President Petro Poroshenko personally.