MOSCOW, December 31. /TASS/. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia sent a letter to Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople calling on him to refrain from creating a new church in Ukraine and legalizing dissenters.

"Back off from communicating with dissenters now and refuse to take part in the political venture on their legalization. And then the genuine Orthodox Church in Ukraine led by his Beatitude Onufriy, Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine will bless you and history will keep memory of you as a Constantinople hierarch who managed to preserve the dignity of the church in dire political conditions and keep its unity," Patriarch Kirill said.

The patriarch noted that the legalization of dissident structures and the creation of the so-called autocephalous church was in violation of all church laws.

In his letter, Patriarch Kirill emphasized that the so-called unification council in mid-December in Kiev "was the gathering of dissenters under the cover of the holy Constantinople church.".