Hierarch of Constantinople hopes for ROC in dialogue on one church in Ukraine

Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, a hierarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, expressed hope for a dialogue with the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) to achieve the unity of the Church in Ukraine. He emphasized that Constantinople remains open for negotiations, despite Moscow’s reluctance to make contact, and reaffirmed its continued support for the OCU.

Metropolitan Emmanuel, in a commentary to Παραπολιτικά 90.1, stated the key role of the church aspect in the search for a just peace in Ukraine. His statement was made in the context of the accusations of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service against Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople.

According to the Metropolitan, during the recent meeting of Patriarch Bartholomew with Epiphany Dumenko at Phanar, the Primate of the Church of Constantinople emphasized that the Patriarchate «remains open to dialogue, hopes for goodwill from the Moscow Patriarchate, so that there is a single Church in Ukraine.»

However, Metropolitan Emmanuel clarified that such a dialogue can only be based on a position that provides «support for the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.» He expressed confidence in the improvement of the situation on the church side and suggested that after the end of the war and the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict, many parishioners of the UOC would want to join the OCU.

«But for now, they are afraid to do so — they are afraid of persecution by Moscow, as it happened in the past,» said the Metropolitan of Chalkidonia. He assured that the Phanar «has never closed the door to dialogue.»

«From the very beginning, His Holiness showed goodwill and sought to ensure that both the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Moscow Patriarchate developed a common position on the Ukrainian issue. But Moscow is unwilling to engage in a dialog. At the same time, our position is very clear. His Holiness continues to perform services where diptychs are read. And when the heads of all the Orthodox autocephalous churches are commemorated, the Moscow Patriarch is commemorated along with the others. We are not closing the door to dialogue,» Metropolitan Emmanuel emphasized.

Earlier we reported that the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation (SVR) warned of the plans of Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople to grant autocephaly to the unrecognized «Montenegrin Orthodox Church». These actions are reportedly seen as a blow to the Serbian Orthodox Church.