"No amateurism": Patriarchate of Constantinople confirms that it will not allow OCU to create parishes abroad

Bishop Maksym Rudko, a hierarch of the Patriarchate of Constantinople of Ukrainian origin, confirmed that since the provisions of the Tomos prohibit the OCU from establishing parishes outside Ukraine, Ukrainians in the diaspora will be cared for by clergy under the jurisdiction of Phanar. Rudko noted that in order to implement such a plan, special bishops’ districts are being created in Europe, which will include parishes that will take into account Ukrainian traditions and the language of worship. He said this in an interview with RISU.

“Of course, we must understand that according to the Tomos granted by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, all Ukrainian parishes and priests outside Ukraine, that is, in the diaspora, belong to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, namely to its metropolitanates in different countries. Thus, the organization of Ukrainian parishes within the metropolitanates of the Ecumenical Patriarchate depends on the metropolitan of each metropolis. Of course, each metropolis should accept Ukrainian priests, as there are many Ukrainians in Europe. However, this is at the discretion of the local metropolitan,” — said Bishop Maksym.

It is worth noting that the OCU, which claims to be equal among the Local Orthodox Churches, continues to violate its own Tomos and the canonical territory of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church. On February 9, 2025, despite the Tomos’ ban on the activities of the OCU abroad, the head of the Rivne Diocese of the OCU, Hilarion Protsyk, visited Warsaw, where he held religious events that were clearly not coordinated with the OCU.