Expert: Refusal to attend Amman Synaxis does not mean recognition of OCU

Religious analyst Elena Kulakevich. Photo: screenshot of the video, YouTube channel “1Kozak”

Opting out by representatives of some Local Orthodox Churches of the Synaxis in Amman does not mean they recognize the OCU, the religious scholar Yelena Kulakevich explained in the program “Right to Faith” by Yan Taksiur on the air of “First Cossack”.

In her opinion, the meeting is extremely positive regardless of the number of participants, because "it is a very good initiative to start off a dialogue."

“We understand very well that if there is no dialogue, then we will not agree and this will bring an even greater crisis and maybe, indeed, a split in Orthodoxy,” the religious expert noted. “Therefore, any initiative to get together is good. Though not all the Local Churches are party to the event, they will closely monitor the developments.”

She emphasized that the refusal of a number of Churches to participate in this meeting does not at all mean support for the OCU, “after all, we know that the answers of the Primates of those Churches, whose representatives did not turn up at the Synaxis, included the following message: the fact that we do not come does not mean at all that we will recognize the canonicity of the so-called Orthodox Church of Ukraine." In particular, Kulakevich clarified, such a message is clearly read in the response of the Patriarch of Antioch.

“It is possible that many refrained from this visit simply because they want to see what the agenda will be, because there was no written agenda,” the expert explained. “Someone chose not to come to the first meeting, but perhaps there will be a second, a third, and they will be attended by many more representatives and even Primates of the Orthodox Churches.”

In this regard, Kulakevich does not support the critics' statements about the initial failure of the upcoming Council of Primates given the number of participants, because I am convinced that the Church needs a precedent and a platform where it will be possible to discuss all pressing issues which, in fact, are a great deal more than what is scheduled for discussion in Amman.

According to experts, the Amman meeting of Primates of Local Orthodox Churches in such a format could be convened by any of the Orthodox Patriarchs, and there is nothing non-canonical in it.

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