“First - with the Phanar, and then - with the ОCU": religious scholar told about how the UOC to get out of the ”canonical deadlock”

Andriy Smirnov, a lobbyist for the OCU in the media and a freelance expert of the State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience, spoke about a possible way out of the situation with the ban on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The religious scholar believes that the UOC should first restore communion with the Patriarchate of Constantinople, and then join the OCU. He said this in a commentary to Channel 24.

“Now it all depends on the willingness of the leadership of the UOC-MP to seek a way out of the canonical impasse. We hope that a certain mechanism or transitional model will be found so that the pro-Ukrainian part of the UOC would first restore communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate and then begin a dialogue with the OCU on unification. This path will be difficult, long-lasting, but there is no alternative to dialogue,” — Smirnov said.

Earlier, OCU spokesman Yevstratiy Zoria said that the organization would not fulfill the conditions of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which would open the way for the start of a dialogue. Zorya believes that the fulfillment of at least one of these points will be perceived by the OCU as a surrender.