Archbishop Elpidophoros: The current status of the UOC creates even more dissonance than the non-recognition of the OCU

Archbishop of the Patriarchate of Constantinople Elpidophoros said that the non-recognition of the OCU is a source of conflict and disagreement among Orthodox denominations in the United States. This is reported by the website of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States.

“There are divisions in our universal Orthodox Church, even fault lines; perhaps none of them were as bitter and painful as those that arose around the war against Ukraine. Non-recognition of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine under the leadership of Metropolitan Epifaniy by jurisdictions in this hall, with the exception of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, continues to be a source of conflict and disagreement,” he said.

The Phanar hierarch added that “the current and rather amorphous status of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church under Metropolitan Onufriy, when his autonomous Council broke off formal relations with the Moscow Patriarchate, creates even greater dissonance.”