Russian Orthodox Church severs links with Constantinople

Russian Orthodox Church declares Constantinople Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew "a schismatic":

TASS (Russia's State news bureau)

"The Russian Orthodox Church has recognized Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople as a schismatic...Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Russian church’s external relations, said on Rossiya24 TV channel on Saturday. 'The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople has joined the schism....the Patriarch of Constantinople is a schismatic'"

 

New York Times -The Orthodox Schism

"The churches of Poland, Serbia and Antioch (Syria) have already come out on Russia’s side. The Church of Greece could also be shaken, as a number of Greek clergymen may support Moscow against Bartholomew. Russian claims to leadership of the Orthodox Christians have appealed to many....Furthermore, the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s dialogue with other faiths, including the Roman Catholic Church, is deeply unpopular with hard-line Orthodox priests and monks. Many monks in northern Greece’s self-governing monastic community of Mount Athos — regarded as the jewel in the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s crown — have pro-Russian tendencies."

 

Epifany, 39, chosen to lead freed church of Ukraine:

Ukraine Orthodox leaders approve break with Russian church

"Ukrainian Orthodox church leaders approved the creation of a unified church independent of Moscow on Saturday and elected a new leader to oversee the self-governing church, a move supporters say will push Kiev further away from Russia’s influence in the region."

"More than 200 representatives from three branches of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine, including two members from the Moscow Patriarchate, elected Metropolitan Epiphany Dumenko, a little-known 39-year-old theology professor."

 

I'm Orthodox under Antioch, and I've been following these developments very closely for quite some time -- since prior to Crete, actually.

Most of the Patriarchs (all but one) have issued statements in support of Moscow, either flat out decrying Constantinople or at the least calling for a Council to decide the matter. (In which case Alexandria would preside.). Antioch is among the latter.

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