The priests of the OCU are heretics and schismatics. This was stated by the Athonite Elder Gabriel from the cell of the Monk Christodoulos of Patmos in an interview with journalist Sotirios Letzio, which was posted on the YouTube channel Aikaterini Anagnostopoulou, writes For-Ua.

“Ukrainian schismatics are not priests, they are blasphemers. These are heretics and schismatics, non-ordained and “self-ordained”. If they do not repent, they will not be saved, and those who have Eucharistic communion with them and will concelebrate with them will also not be able to inherit salvation,” the Athonite elder stressed.

According to him, the Church itself speaks about it. As an example, the elder cited the 45th Apostolic Canon, which says that “a bishop, or presbyter, or deacon, who prayed only with heretics, may be excommunicated. If something will allow them to act, like the ministers of the church: let it be thrown out”, and the second rule of the Council of Antioch: “If anyone turns out to be in communion with the excommunicated, let him be outside the communion of the church.”

“In the language of the Church, the words ακοινώνητος (excommunicated) and αφορισμένος (excommunicated) have a similar meaning. This is a person who is outside the Church and who will not be saved,” Elder Gabriel noted.