The representative of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, Metropolitan Polycarp of Italy, told a lot of interesting things about his meeting with Pope Francis, which took place, apparently, immediately after the enthronement of Polycarp.
Let us note a few very important points to which you should pay close attention.
1.From the words of Metropolitan Polycarp, we can conclude that the ecumenical dialogue with Catholics is, in fact, a new union under the patronage of the Vatican, and not a return to the pre-schism period of 1054.
Thus, the hierarch emphasized that the unity of the RCC and the Phanar, at least “at the level of believers,” is an accomplished fact. Moreover, in his opinion, such unity at the level of believers is more important than at the institutional level.
To understand what the Phanar hierarch has in mind, you need to know that one of the most widespread methods of proselytism used by Catholics in relation to Orthodox Christians is precisely the method of ritual “unity”. In other words, under the guise of “Orthodox worship”, believers are offered “Catholic spirituality,” and only then is “unity” with Catholics announced. By the way, Metropolitan Seraphim of Piraeus drew attention to this fact, who in his reply to Metropolitan Polycarp pointed out that the so-called “popular ecumenism” should eliminate the “delusion” that Catholicism is heresy, and admit that we are not divided with Catholics by differences faith, but different traditions, and therefore we can unite with them.
2. Metropolitan Polycarp, in fact, declared that the issue of primacy in the Church, at least for him and his associates, had been resolved. Thus, he calls the pope “the patriarch of the Ecumenical Church”, takes from him a “blessing” to serve in Italy and considers him to be his father. Apparently, the Phanariots have already developed a kind of model of “unity” – when there is no open Eucharistic communion of churches, but there is communion on a personal level. By the way, this model is very often used by the Uniates in Ukraine. For example, when they offer concelebration to Orthodox priests who have sympathy for the UGCC. There is no doubt that some Phanariots are already practicing something similar.
3. Metropolitan Polycarp stressed that the ecumenical dialogue, the purpose of which is the unity of the RCC and Orthodoxy, is already an irreversible process. It can only be stopped by external forces (including geopolitical alignments). In other words, this process can cause a geopolitical conflict, which means that it is included in the sphere of interests of certain forces.
4. Well, and already traditionally speaking about the dialogue with Catholics, the Phanar representative does not even stutter about repentance or about an attempt to solve dogmatic problems. Everything has already been decided – without repentance and dogma. We just agreed.
