The Russian Orthodox Church announced that it would stop its participation in projects and structures led by representatives of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. This is the solution adopted in the extraordinary session of the Synod, held September 14, was a response to the appointment of 7 September, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of the exarchs (messengers) in Kyiv, which will train the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to receive Autocephalous.
«In a critical situation, when the Constantinople side, in fact, refused to resolve issues through dialogue, the Moscow Patriarchate is forced to suspend prayerful remembrance of Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople at the service and with deep regret suspends concelebration with the hierarchs of the Constantinople Patriarchate,» reads the statement of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The Chairman of the Department for external Church relations of the ROC Metropolitan Hilarion, in his commentary, RIA «Novosti» said that the decision of the Synod can be compared with the rupture of diplomatic relations in social life. Also, this does not mean the suspension of the Eucharistic communion: the faithful of both Patriarchates to be able to commune from one chalice.
However, the Russian Orthodox Church stressed that if Constantinople will continue its activities on the territory of the UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate, the next step will be a complete break «of the Eucharistic communion with the Patriarchate of Constantinople».
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church has always sought independence from the Moscow Patriarchate, but especially sharply this question has risen in connection with the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and the beginning of Eastern Ukraine hybrid war.
In July Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew refused to go to Moscow for the celebration 1030-anniversary of the baptism of Rus, stating that «Russia has no reason for the organization of celebrations on the occasion of the events at the end of X century Kiev.»
