Metropolitan Feodosiy of Cherkasy and Kaniv, head of the Cherkasy diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, believes that the head of the Church of Constantinople, Patriarch Bartholomew, realizes the erroneousness of his decision on Ukraine, but cannot admit it. The Metropolitan discussed this in the program “The Word of the Hierarch”, reports 112.ua.
“It seems to me that Patriarch Bartholomew has long understood that he made a big mistake, tactical, not strategic. I think he is sure that strategically he did the right thing. This is their understanding, a deep understanding of the Church of Constantinople, contrary to the church tradition of understanding the canons. He understood, probably realized that he had made a tactical mistake, and his name will go down in history. Not always a person, even realizing own mistake, is ready to admit it. It seems to me that this is exactly what is happening now with Patriarch Bartholomew.
Unable to admit his mistake, he continues to call black white, white black, convincing himself that he was right, although the whole Orthodox world can see that (although the results of his actions are already in front of his eyes) there is no unification happened and it could not happen. Because the largest confession of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which includes the overwhelming, undoubtedly, overwhelming majority of Orthodox believers in Ukraine, had nothing to do with their so-called unification council at all,” said the Metropolitan of the UOC.
According to him, “different branches of the schism united among themselves and suddenly, at the word of Patriarch Bartholomew, they took the place of the real Church.”
“The simulacrum has taken the place of the Church, which historically has existed here for thousands of years. What can be seen, as Patriarch Bartholomew saw the situation from the window of his residence at the Phanar, is very different from the vision of the situation that we feel and understand here, in Ukraine, in real church life. These are completely different things. At the same time, I repeat, I think that Patriarch Bartholomew has fully realized his tactical mistake, but he cannot admit it so as not to lose his authority. This happens, unfortunately, with proud people,” stated lord Feodosiy.
