Patriarch Bartholomew fails to give convincing answers that induce other Local Churches of the Orthodox family to recognize the new autocephaly of the OCU. This was stated by Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, Deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate.

“He simply repeats over and over again that he is always right, because the Constantinople throne is always right; that the “Great Church of Christ”, with which he identifies himself, has no need to discuss anything with someone, because he never makes mistakes and is always crucified, and sacrifices himself for our common good – and invites all Orthodox to take this on faith … Otherwise, they say, they will no longer be Orthodox.

But the point is that we, the Orthodox, do not have and have never had such a dogma of faith. The Patriarch of Constantinople is not at all the Pope of Rome. And not with us, the Orthodox, was the First Vatican Council. And the papal infallibilitas (inability to err), according to the views of even our Catholic brothers, with whom the Phanar is so rapidly approaching today, is fraught with serious restrictions,” said Archpriest Nikolai Balashov.