"Anathema!": In Bucharest, during joint service of Patriarchs of Constantinople and Romania, Bartholomew remembers name of OCU head

on October 27, 2025, during a joint service of the heads of the Constantinople and Romanian Patriarchates, Patriarch Bartholomew commemorated the name of the head of the OCU Epiphany Dumenko. Dumenko’s name was solemnly commemorated in the Diptych, but during its proclamation, someone from the crowd of those who participated in the service shouted “Anathema!”.

According to Raskolam.net, the relevant moment of the service, which took place in the courtyard of the Romanian Patriarchate, was broadcast by the Romanian Patriarchate’s Trinitas TV channel . The liturgy was held in the open air, near the old cathedral, in the presence of numerous believers. The hierarchs of the Constantinople and Romanian Patriarchates participated in the service.

However, the fact that the head of the OCU was commemorated in the Diptych of Primates of the Orthodox Churches did not suit all participants in the service. Some of the people, at the very moment Dumenko was mentioned, shouted “Anathema!”.

However, it is worth noting that the name of the head of the OCU has been mentioned many times at joint services of Orthodox hierarchs. In particular, earlier, in Bucharest, Archbishop George of Cyprus pronounced his name at the Liturgy. Also, the name of Epiphany was commemorated during the concelebration of the head of Phanar and the new Archbishop of Albania John on All Saints’ Sunday.

As reported, on October 26, 2024, a solemn service was held in the Romanian capital, Bucharest, led by the heads of the Romanian and Cypriot Orthodox Churches. During the Liturgy at the Patriarchal Cathedral of Bucharest, the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus, Archbishop George, commemorated the head of the OCU, Epiphany Dumenko, among the heads of the Local Orthodox Churches.