Phanar hierarch: UOC bishops did not join OCU due to RF special services
Archbishop Elpidophoros. Photo: Facebook
The head of the Archdiocese of the Constantinople Patriarchate in America Archbishop Elpidophoros stated in an interview with "Viche" that 100 out of 102 hierarchs of the UOC did not attend the "Unification Council" of the OCU in 2018 due to the fear of the Russian special services.
"The reason that many hierarchs did not join this autocephalous Church was the unjust pressure they experienced from Russian special services, intelligence services, which blackmailed through personal files, pressured, oppressed or even threatened hierarchs so they would not join," assures Archbishop Elpidophoros.
According to him, this is "obvious", but he does not know "whether anyone has ever spoken about this publicly and openly."
Thus, it can be stated that, in Archbishop Elpidophoros's opinion, only Metropolitans Simeon (Shostatsky) and Oleksandr (Drabinko), who appeared at the OCU event, were able to avoid pressure from the Russian Federation special services. The latter positioned himself as the creator of the "Russian world" ideology.
Read also
Orthodox and Catholic bishops make joint visit to Mount Athos
The head of the Phanar blessed a joint pilgrimage to Mount Athos by Roman Catholic and Orthodox bishops.
UOC Kryvyi Rih Eparchy marks 30th anniversary
Metropolitan Yefrem led the anniversary Divine Liturgy in Kryvyi Rih.
Ostapenko: Everyone in UCCRO feels fine except the “FSB UOC”
The director of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve called the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches “a wonderful organization.”
Khmelnytskyi Eparchy donates funds for treatment of 12-year-old girl
UOC believers raised UAH 20,000 for Anastasiia Mamchur as part of an eparchial charity campaign.
Shevchuk: We had to convince world UOC ban does not violate religious freedom
The UGCC head claims that by banning the UOC, the state is not violating religious freedom but merely protecting the Church’s faithful from Moscow propaganda.
Lavra reserve head estimates damage to Dormition Cathedral at €15 million
Maksym Ostapenko said restoring the Dormition Cathedral would take at least a couple of years and require major funding.