The actions taken by Constantinople not only contradict the canonical principles on which the life of the Church has been built for centuries, but clearly contradict the declared goal of “healing the schism.” This is discussed in an article by Protodeacon Konstantin Markovich, a teacher at the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, a member of the Inter-Council Presence of the Russian Orthodox Church, which was published on the website of the DECR of the Moscow Patriarchate, and also translated into Greek for the website of Romfeа.
“First, Patriarch Bartholomew chose a dictatorial style of attitude towards the Primate and bishops of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, completely ignoring their opinions, convictions, views, and will. Secondly, the Patriarch forced the canonical bishops, contrary to their pastoral and Christian conscience, to enter into church communion and unite in a new “Local Church” with those whom these bishops rightly consider to be unrepentant schismatic self-ordained persons who do not have the grace of the priesthood. And this attitude is based on the court rulings of the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church, the legal force of which was officially confirmed by Patriarch Bartholomew himself, and this confirmation was never withdrawn, ”the author recalls.
Also, “the documented agreement with the determination of the Council of Bishops of the Moscow Patriarchate and the refusal to hold the appeal process in the case of Filaret should be considered an official confirmation of the judicial act on the deposition and deprivation of the holy dignity of Filaret. If Patriarch Bartholomew in 2018 decided to recognize his personal decision as erroneous, he should, in accordance with the same rules, call on the bishops’ council of the Moscow Patriarchate to conduct a new trial in this case and appoint, if desired, his representatives to participate in the council. Or to gather a Pan-Orthodox Synod”.
In addition, the author notes that the Patriarch of Constantinople, as stated in the Communique of 11.10. 2018, has the canonical prerogatives of the “Patriarch of Constantinople to accept petitions of hierarchs and other clergy from all Autocephalous Churches” on the basis of canons 9 and 17 of the IV Ecumenical Council. “But only a council under the chairmanship of the patriarch that has the appropriate jurisdiction can make judgments on appeal cases … The jurisdiction of the modern Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Constantinople does not extend to other local Churches. In addition, the appeal process is impossible without the presence and testimony of the previous judges who passed the previous conviction and agreement with the new definition of the primate of the local Church to which the previously convicted belongs.”
In addition, it is important that the judicial acts of the Bishops’ Councils of 1992 and 1997 continue to retain their legal force, since they have never been legally canceled. “Patriarch Bartholomew tried to force the episcopate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to enter into communion with schismatics who do not have canonically valid ordinations and sacraments. Therefore, these actions are justly qualified as grossly contrary to the sacred canons of the Church and contrary to the Christian conscience,” states the protodeacon.
