Exarch of Africa: Bartholomew finally crossed the Rubicon when he implemented the OCU

The Patriarchal Exarch of Africa, Metropolitan Leonid, in an interview with the Serbian magazine «Print» stated that «before the unlawful interference in Ukrainian church affairs, the Phanar committed unworthy deeds,» since its leadership has long been «undermining the unity of world Orthodoxy.»

“It is worth at least remembering his decision to create, in violation of the canons, a structure that operates in parallel with the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, or the veiled threats of the Serbian Church to grant autocephaly to some non-canonical entities in the Balkans,” recalled the Metropolitan.

In his opinion, Bartholomew finally «crossed the Rubicon» when he embodied the idea of the OCU, where «bishops» do not have legal consecrations. And by this decision «the split was not healed, but legalized.»

The Exarch also added that it was precisely at the insistence of Constantinople and the support in this of «the diplomatic and intelligence structures of a number of Western countries» that the OCU was recognized by several more Greek Local Churches.