MOSCOW, October 19. /TASS/. The Patriarchal Exarchate for Orthodox Parishes of the Russian Tradition in Western Europe, which vows in its statement not to break off ties with the Russian Orthodox Church, is highly likely pursuing a goal of presenting Russia as an outcast in the Orthodox world, Roman Lunkin, an expert in theology, told TASS on Friday.
"The patriarchal exarchate confirmed the stance of the Church of Constantinople that they had not interrupted communion with anyone. As that exarchate is directly subordinate to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, they are trying to imply that the Moscow Patriarchate was responsible for the split," said Lunkin, lead researcher at the Center for Religion and Society Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Europe.
"The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople appears to take a deceitful position: which means that Moscow was behind the split, but they have not split anything and will welcome followers of the Russian Orthodox Church, and simultaneously they make a hint that the Moscow Patriarchate will find itself in a schism since it withdraws itself from the plenitude of church communion," he said.
Lunkin has pointed out that the Archdiocese of Russian Orthodox churches in Western Europe implies that the clergy and laity of the Russian Orthodox Church can partake in the Holy Mysteries in their territory in spite of the decision of the Bishops’ Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church which says that continuing Eucharistic communion with the Patriarchate of Constantinople is impossible.
"They are not abandoning Patriarch Bartholomew. Therefore, they actually say that if representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church breach the Synod’s bans and go against Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, they will welcome them with outstretched arms. It might be a covert invitation both for the laity and the clergy," the expert said.
Along with this, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople sends a signal to Ukrainian uncanonical churches that they need to overcome their differences.
"The Church of Constantinople expects that they [the Kiev Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Church - TASS] will reach an agreement on a process establishing one local church. It is also a reminder for members of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church that the Church of Constantinople is not a stranger for them and will always take them under her wing," the expert in theology said.
Earlier, Patriarchal Exarchate for Orthodox Parishes of the Russian Tradition in Western Europe issued a statement saying that it had remained in full Eucharistic communion with all Orthodox Churches despite the Moscow Patriarchate’s decision to sever ties with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.
The document says that the "the Ecumenical Patriarchate did not interrupt communion with the Moscow Patriarchate and continues his day in the manner prescribed in the diptych." The statement adds that "all Orthodox believers can fully participate in the liturgical life and sacraments of the Church in its parishes."
Severed ties
On October 11, a Synod meeting of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople decided to "proceed with granting autocephaly (self-governance) to the Church of Ukraine." The Synod revoked a legally binding status of the 1686 letter, which empowered the Patriarch of Moscow to ordain the Metropolitan of Kiev. In addition, the Synod decided to re-establish the office of the Stavropegion of the Ecumenical Patriarch in Kiev, which means its head would be subordinate directly to the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. Moreover, the Synod lifted an anathema on the heads of two uncanonical churches in Ukraine - Filaret of the Kiev Patriarchate, and Makary of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Church.
In response, the Bishops’ Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church said on October 15 it had been left with no choice but to sever Eucharistic ties with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.