The Russian Orthodox Church does not lose hope that Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria will abandon his decision to recognize the Ukrainian schismatics. The head of the Department for External Church Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church, metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, stated this.
According to him, numerous requests of the clergy of the Alexandrian Patriarchate, who do not agree with the recognition of the OCU as their patriarch did, to accept them into the Moscow Patriarchate do indeed take place. Moreover, we are talking about massive appeals of clerics from different African countries.
“We have a sincere desire to provide them with all possible support. However, we have so far refrained from the decision to accept them under the jurisdiction of the Russian Church. We still do not lose hope that Patriarch Theodore will abandon his decision,” explains the metropolitan.
Also, the ROC does not want to deepen the divisions that are already taking place among Orthodox Christians in Africa due to the recognition of Ukrainian schismatics by the Patriarch of Alexandria.