Patriarch Bartholomew's responsibility for the persecution of the UOC became the topic of a round table in Tbilisi

A round table was held in Tbilisi, where public figures, clergymen and experts discussed the responsibility of Constantinople Patriarch Bartholomew for the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The event, which was preceded by a protest, was devoted to a critical report by political analyst Gulbaat Rtskhiladze on the pressure on the UOC. This is reported by Pravblog.

In his report, political scientist Gulbaat Rtskhiladze accused Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople of aiding nationalist circles in Ukraine by granting autocephaly to a schismatic structure, which, according to the author, was also due to the vested interests of the Phanar. The material describes in detail the patriarch’s ties with Catholicism, supporters of ecumenism and American financial and political elites. The author emphasizes the paradox: a hierarch with a small flock, who is banned from public worship in Istanbul during the azan, acts as a «master» in Ukraine with the support of the political regime and nationalists. Rtskhiladze concludes by arguing that such a patriarch has no right to lead the Orthodox world.

The discussion, which gathered about forty participants — journalists, political scientists, clergy and students — evaluated the presented material. «It is extremely difficult to observe what is happening — violence, disregard for the sacred, persecution and arrests of priests, banning of services. Especially when such things are ignored by a person called the Patriarch of Constantinople. This causes deep bewilderment and categorical rejection», — said one of the participants of the round table.

Before the beginning of the discussion, a symbolic protest action was held on David the Builder Avenue. Participants spoke out against the policy of Patriarch Bartholomew and in support of the Ukrainian Orthodox. It is noted that this is not an isolated case: in 2024-2025 in Georgia there were at least four similar public speeches in support of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

We will remind, on June 1, 2025 in Greece held a theological conference dedicated to the problems of the Ukrainian Church issue. The event was organized in the city of Piraeus by the Union of Theologians «Methexis» with the support of the head of the local diocese of the Hellenic Orthodox Church Metropolitan Seraphim of Piraeus. The conference participants made presentations on the implications of the granting of the Tomos of autocephaly to the PCU by Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople.