Abp. Elpidophoros: Fear, Not Theology, Kept UOC Hierarchs Away

Photo: Archbishop Elpidophoros/Facebook

NEW YORK — Abp. Elpidophoros, head of the Archdiocese of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in America, has claimed that the overwhelming majority of hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) declined to attend the 2018 “Unification Council” that created the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) due to fear of Russian special services.

In an interview with the outlet Viche, Abp. Elpidophoros said that 100 out of 102 UOC hierarchs stayed away from the council not for theological reasons, but because of alleged pressure from Russian intelligence agencies. He asserted that hierarchs were subjected to blackmail, threats, and coercion through personal files in order to prevent them from joining the new church structure.

According to the Archbishop, this explanation is “obvious,” though he questioned whether it has ever been stated openly in public. He suggested that only two hierarchs who attended the council avoided such pressure.

Previously, the UOJ reported that Abp. Elpidophoros stated that the Russian Orthodox Church has been reduced to an instrument of the Kremlin.

Read also