On January 27, 2023, Archpriest Nikolai Danilevich, in an interview with the YouTube channel “Viche”, gave an answer to the question of why the issue of recognizing “consecrations” of the OCU is problematic, if the acceptance of the Catholic clergy in the existing rank is allowed in the Orthodox Church, and when recognizing the Macedonian Church, there were no re-ordinations of its clergy.

The priest noted that the Catholic Church, despite the departure from the Orthodox dogma, retained the apostolic succession.

As for the Macedonian Church, according to the Deputy Chairman of the DECR of the UOC, she had no problem with the priesthood. The issue of the MOC concerned its status, not the ordinations performed within it.

At the same time, Father Nikolai noted that the former Metropolitan Filaret (from whom the majority of “OCU bishops” have “consecrations”), having gone into schism, had no right to perform ordination, since he himself was banned from the priesthood, and subsequently anathematized.