Patr. Bartholomew Urges UOC to ‘Reconsider its Stance’

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Epiphany Dumenko. Photo: Nikos Papachristou

ISTANBUL — On the Feast of Theophany, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, concelebrating with "Metropolitan" Epiphany Dumenko of the state-backed Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), issued an appeal to Metropolitan Onuphry of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) to reconsider his stance for the sake of church unity, calling on all to pray together “first for ecclesiastical peace.”

The UOC is being persecuted by the Ukrainian government on the basis of "Russian ties" despite being 1,000 years old and thoroughly condemning Russia's invasion.

As reported by the Orthodox Times, this occasion at the Phanar marked seven years since the Ecumenical Patriarch signed the Tomos of Autocephaly granting, independence to the "Orthodox Church of Ukraine." Addressing the faithful, Patriarch Bartholomew argued that the decision of the Mother Church of Constantinople was based solely on ecclesiological grounds.

“Our motives were entirely ecclesiological,” he said. “We were not guided by expediency, nor did we make a hasty or superficial judgment… As was our duty, we received repeated urgent appeals and took the initiative to mediate and bring peace to all parties.”

Figures like former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have openly spoken about their involvement in creating this church structure in Ukraine.

The Patriarch said that genuine reconciliation requires humility and sacrifice, warning against “the obsessive certainty that each side alone possesses the absolute truth.” He underlined that, in the Church’s understanding, justice favors the weak and differs fundamentally from secular concepts of justice. Referring to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he added, “We pray to the Lord to end this monstrous and inhumane state of war,” and once again called on the Ukrainian hierarchy under Metropolitan Onuphry to "reconsider its position."

Patriarch Bartholomew also condemned extremism “wherever it comes from” and urged Ukrainian state authorities to refrain from intervening in internal church affairs, emphasizing that Constantinople’s actions have remained strictly ecclesiastical.

Dumenko expressed gratitude to the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Holy Synod for granting autocephaly, noting that the decision seven years ago was sealed “with unity in prayer and the divine eucharist.” He also criticized the Russian Church for promoting the ideology of the “Russian world,” which he said introduces ethnonational division into the Church.

“During these four years, we have seen the impious teaching of the ‘Russian world,’ contrary to the Gospel and the Church’s tradition, deeply penetrate the Russian Church environment and even extend beyond its borders," he stated. "This teaching and its followers introduce ethnonational division into the Church of Christ."

The Theophany celebrations concluded with the traditional procession to the Phanar quay and the blessing of the waters of the Golden Horn, where more than 50 participants dove to retrieve the Holy Cross, continuing a long-standing liturgical tradition of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

Previously, UOJ reported that Patriarch Bartholomew promised not to revoke the Tomos.

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