Exarchate of Phanar in Ukraine may become a "third way" in the Ukrainian church conflict, - Cyril Hovorun

The defrocked former cleric of the Russian Orthodox Church, Kirill Govorun, is convinced that the creation of an exarchate of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Ukraine will help resolve the growing interfaith crisis. He believes that such a decision, which should be made for a certain period of time, will help reconcile the UOC and the OCU, which are in conflict with each other. Hovorun said this on the air of the FREEDOM TV channel.

«Against the backdrop of the confrontation and stalemate that has developed in the relations between the OCU and the UOC, the idea of an exarchate as a transitional opportunity for those who are no longer satisfied with the stagnation within the UOC and the deafness of the hierarchy to the really crying needs of the flock of this church seems understandable. Because the flock is trying to shout to the bishops, to the primate: do something. And there is ignoring, deafness on the other side. And against the backdrop of the lack of communication and understanding between different strata within the UOC, on the one hand, and on the other hand, a rather harsh attitude on the part of the OCU to the UOC, when rhetoric like: «you are schismatics,» «you are collaborators,» «you are all FSB officers in cassocks,» that is, rhetoric that smears everyone with the same brush, many people seemed to have no choice but to look for a third way. And such a third way could be the creation of an exarchate of the Ecumenical Patriarchate or the expansion of the exarchate where we are now to include those who would like to follow this third way,» Hovorun said.

The former ROC cleric added that the decision on the exarchate, if adopted, should be temporary. In his opinion, all Orthodox Christians in Ukraine should sooner or later follow the Tomos of autocephaly granted by Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople.

«Again, not as something permanent, not as a final decision, but as a temporary solution until the two churches find a common language. By and large, the UOC, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is also called the Moscow Patriarchate in Ukraine, is no longer the Moscow Patriarchate or a patriarchate at all. It is, in fact, the Kyiv Metropolis of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the state in which it existed before 1686. […] All the parishes and bishops of the UOC are actually parishes and bishops of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The Kyivan Metropolis was restored by the decision of the October Synod of 1918 in Phanar — the decision of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. And by and large, the question is what to do with these bishops, priests and laity, with thousands of parishes, which, from the point of view of canonical ocryvia (governance — ed.), are actually bishops, priests and laity of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Should they formalize this status or remain in the uncertain status in which they are now? That is, the question of the exarchate is a question of whether to recognize de jure what exists de facto or to leave everything as it is. And here the question is not about formalities and not about simply «properly formalizing» what already exists. The question is what to do with people who still have very serious internal dilemmas. It seems to me that the exarchate as a temporary solution to this dilemma is possible,» he added.

Earlier, the OCU lobbyist in the media Andrey Kovalev expressed serious criticism of the law banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), claiming that the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience (DESS) developed this document not in the interests of the state. According to him, the proposed strategy to combat the UOC is erroneous and potentially dangerous, capable of pushing millions of believers underground.