Athos monk, author of the Tomos: better times have come for Ukrainian Orthodoxy

Hieromonk Luke, a monk at the Xenophontos Monastery, known to Orthodox Ukrainians as the author of the so-called Tomos of Autocephaly of the OCU, claims that Ukrainian Orthodoxy is currently experiencing its best times. In his opinion, the Ukrainian Church’s connection with the Patriarchate of Constantinople is more natural than its unity with the Russian Church, and the break with Phanar in the 14th century was artificial. He spoke about this in an interview with Radio Liberty.

«It is natural for Ukraine to have ties with Constantinople. The Ukrainian Church is an ancient church. In the 12th, 13th, and 14th centuries, all the metropolitans of Kyiv were sent from Constantinople. The Ukrainian Church was independent in the literal sense of the word. But it is natural for Ukraine to have ties with Constantinople. The Ukrainian Church is an ancient church whose ties with the outside world were artificially severed by Moscow. But now better times have come for Ukrainian Orthodoxy, and Ukraine is already independent,» — the hieromonk noted.

Earlier, the head of the OCU, Epiphany Dumenko, tried to explain why the organization had not yet managed to build a “Ukrainian cell” on Mount Athos. Dumenko claims that the construction of the OCU cell on Athos is being delayed because the organization is spending all its funds on supporting the Ukrainian army.