Religious scholar: Romanian Patriarchate recognizes OCU and its head as Orthodox

Religious scholar and OCU lobbyist Oleksandr Brodetsky commented on the commemoration of the name of the head of the OCU Epiphany Dumenko during a joint service of the Patriarchs of Constantinople and Romania in Bucharest. In his opinion, this step is an important symbolic gesture that indicates that the only obstacle to the recognition of the OCU by the Romanian Church is political factors.

According to RISU, the event took place on October 27 in the Romanian capital. During the Divine Liturgy, the name of Epifaniy Dumenko was proclaimed among the names of other Primates of the autocephalous Local Churches.

OCU lobbyist Oleksandr Brodetsky commented on this fact, emphasizing its significance. He noted that Patriarch Daniel of Romania did not interrupt the joint service, as he believes would undoubtedly have happened in the case of the mention of, for example, the Pope. «And in the case of the commemoration of Metropolitan Epifaniy, he did not do this,» Brodetsky said.

According to the expert, such a reaction indicates that from the point of view of Christian criteria, the Romanian Patriarchate recognizes the OCU and its head as Orthodox. «It means that it understands: Epiphany and the OCU are the same Orthodox according to Christian criteria, only political reasons still retain their influence. But water wears away at a stone, as they say,» the religious scholar concluded, hinting at a possible rapid change in the situation.

As we reported earlier, on October 27, 2025, during a joint service of the heads of the Patriarchates of Constantinople and Romania, 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 participating in the service shouted «Anathema!»