Bishop Novosadski and Metropolitan Iriney in the “Archpastor”
Bishop Novosadski and Metropolitan Irinej sure that the actions of the Church of Constantinople in Ukraine are harmful to the global Orthodoxy.
One of the most influential Orthodox writers and theologians, a spokesman of the Serbian Orthodox Church Bishop Novosadski and Metropolitan Irinej said that the actions of Constantinople in Ukraine is the biggest mistake in the history of the Ecumenical throne.
“We very much regret that the Ecumenical Patriarch personally, and the Ecumenical Patriarchate as a whole has done, in my opinion, and the opinion of most of our theologians and hierarchs, the biggest mistake in the entire history of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Patriarchate of Constantinople,” said the Bishop in the “Archpastor” TV channel “Union”.
Bishop Irinej emphasized that acting contrary to the canons, the Patriarch of Constantinople, invaded the territory of the existing Autonomous Church, which is the UOC. The negotiations on the Tomos with Panaram were secular policies, and the position of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church were completely ignored. “The delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarch does not speak with the legitimate Church.” – the Hierarch exclaims in surprise.
According to him, the decision of the Serbian Church not to recognize the definition of the Constantinople Synod of November 11, 2018 all the bishops unanimously adopted: “Without a single vote against”. The Serbian Church calls upon the Ecumenical Patriarchate to announce the convening of the pan-Orthodox Council to resolve the Ukrainian problem, rather than trying to solve it autocratically.
According to Bishop Irenaeus, the recognition Panaram splitters and first head of the Kyiv Patriarchate uncanonically and ineffective: “He (M. A. Denysenko – Ed.) took the oath before the Patriarch (Moscow – Ed.) that does not make the split, he gave up and did a split. He was defrocked, expelled from the Churches, and finally, anathema. And now people come with Fanara and say – this is nonsense.”
According to Bishop, he’s still more than a decade ago, addressed to Patriarch Bartholomew and asked him not to intervene in Ukraine because it could cause a tragedy for the entire Orthodox world. But, unfortunately, it was already possible then to foresee the behaviors of the Ecumenical Patriarch. In the Serbian Church, many believe that the actions of Constantinople initiated the American politicians who try to divide Orthodox peoples. The Archbishop said that such a view is shared by his many friends in Greece.
The Serbian Church is supporting in this matter the position of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church that some bishops of Constantinople perceived as the transfer of Serbs from panara to Moscow. However, according to Bishop, this view is deeply flawed. Bishop Irenaeus says you can’t be for one or the other, but you need to stand for canonical order and healthy life of the Church: “In this particular case the right of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. If that now makes Constantinople, would Moscow or Kiev – we would then be against”.
Bishop of the Serbian Church believes that their actions Constantinople had caused damage not only Russian or Ukrainian Orthodoxy, but to the whole Orthodox world, as well as himself. According to Bishop, “We are now humiliated and funny and before the Catholics, and even before the followers of other religions and even secular people.” While you need to approach each other and to work together, to respond together to the challenges that exist, the actions of the Constantinople fragment the Orthodox people.
According to the Hierarch, the actions of Constantinople is an attempt to enter in the Orthodox Church the Catholic system of one-man management. But this attempt could not succeed: “it is Evident that none of the local Churches did not support the initiatives of Constantinople”.
As reported by the SPM, the Council of bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church decided not to accept the decisions of Constantinople on the rehabilitation of the leaders of the UAOC and the UOC-KP Philaret and Macarius.