Archbishop Elpidophoros: Patriarch Bartholomew “Found A Way to Restore Millions of Ukrainian Orthodox Christians to the Canonical Church”

Photo: Orthodox Observer/Brittainy Newman

In an event held at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in New York City on June 10, a tribute concert was held following remarks by His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros on the occasion of Patriarch Bartholomew’s patronal feast.

Notably, Archbishop Elpidophoros specifically commended His Holiness for his granting of the Tomos of autocephaly to the schismatic and state-backed OCU.

“Motivated by this agape for the world, wherever he can serve the good of the human family, His All-Holiness brings his dynamism, his wisdom, and his courage,” Archbishop Elpidophoros said. “Thus, when he found a way to restore millions of Ukrainian Orthodox Christians to the canonical Church, he did not hesitate to grant autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine, even in the midst of threats of schism and finally, the Russian invasion of this sovereign country. Speaking truth to power comes very easily to the Patriarch who is of the Truth, even as our Lord said to the man who thought he could Judge the Judge of the Universe: ‘Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.’ (John 18:37)”

The claim that Patriarch Bartholomew restored millions “to the canonical Church” is a ridiculous statement from the Archbishop, as the truth of the matter is that, as late as 2018, the only canonical Church recognized in Ukraine was the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). Even Constantinople did not recognize the schismatic Kyiv Patriarchate (led by self-proclaimed Patriarch Filaret Denisenko, who had previously been deposed and defrocked by the Moscow Patriarchate) and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC) led by self-proclaimed Metropolitan Makary Maletich.

This begs the question then: if Patriarch Bartholomew restored millions to the canonical Church, then why create the OCU? Why was it necessary to create a parallel church when the universally recognized UOC, the true canonical Church of Ukraine, exists?

We see two major steps take place in 2018:

1. The Patriarchate of Constantinople rescinds a 17th-century document that had granted jurisdiction over part of what is now Ukraine to the Moscow Patriarchate. In an article titled, “Orthodoxy in Ukraine: A Brief Overview,” Matthew Namee writes, “The borders of this old territory are not identical with the territory of the modern Ukrainian state, but in any case, the EP’s position was that it was taking back its old powers in Ukraine. Based on this rationale, all bishops in Ukraine were now EP bishops.”
2. The Patriarchate of Constantinople issued a blanket declaration making all the hierarchs, clergy, and faithful of the Kyiv Patriarchate (KP) and UAOC legitimate and canonical, recognizing their holy orders.

Then came the false “Unification Council,” which was intended to form a new, unified Church in Ukraine. 

“The hierarchs of all three jurisdictions were invited,” Namee writes. “Both the KP and UAOC attended in full force, but only two of the nearly one hundred UOC-MP bishops (up to now, the only canonical bishops in Ukraine) came. One of the two UOC-MP bishops who attended the council was a controversial figure who had been accused of serious moral transgressions and was, by many accounts, looking for a way out.”

Regardless, with the active participation of then-Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, the council elected Epifany Dumenko, who had been a schismatic KP bishop up until the blanket recognition from Constantinople, to be primate of the new OCU. 

In January 2019, the Tomos of Autocephaly was given to this new church. And despite being given the title “Honorary Patriarch” by Constantinople, the deposed and defrocked Filaret became displeased and revived the KP, meaning that, for all of this work done by Patriarch Bartholomew in the name of “unity,” there are once again three jurisdictions in Ukraine.

As previously reported by UOJ’s Ukrainian branch (SPZh), the first official congratulations after the OCU’s creation came from the U.S. Embassy and the U.S. State Department. In the years since, former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has openly spoken about the need for this church to be created, calling it a “historic achievement” and offering “firm support for a sovereign and independent Ukraine.”

We see this, then, for exactly what it was – a political move by the U.S. State Department which was not at all concerned with religious freedom (Ukrainians were already worshiping unbothered in UOC churches), but rather a misguided attempt to weaken Russia, due to the West’s general lack of knowledge on how the Orthodox Church functions.

As we have seen with devout UOC clergy and laity who refuse to be forced to join the OCU and participate in its graceless liturgies, the OCU only has U.S. support to keep it alive. Without it, the schismatic church has no future whatsoever in Orthodoxy and in the world.

Recently, figures such as Vice President J.D. Vance and Tucker Carlson have spoken out about the persecution of canonical Christians in Ukraine, suggesting a turning of the tide in regard to the political conversation.

However, the believed cooperation and expected assistance from the U.S. political powers remains on display for hierarchs under the Patriarchate of Constantinople, as we see with Archbishop Elpidophoros’ continual shift to wherever the wind blows – first making borderline blasphemous statements about abortion while Joe Biden was in office and later the groveling and comparison to St. Constantine the Great that he gave to President Donald Trump on this year’s Greek Independence Day.

We also already see cracks in the armor of the OCU amongst hierarchs they are in communion with, as Archbishop Elpidophoros reportedly challenged Epifany on the violation of the terms of the Tomos of Autocephaly.

Only three of the fourteen universally-recognized autocephalous Orthodox churches recognize the OCU – the Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Patriarchate of Alexandria, and the Church of Greece – and Archbishop Georgios of the Church of Cyprus commemorates Epifany while their synod has not yet endorsed the OCU formally. Notably, all of these are “Greek” churches.

Other churches have scarcely even recognized the OCU’s existence, letting actions speak louder than words by refusing to concelebrate. Some have explicitly rejected the canonicity of the OCU and hold the position that Epifany is not a primate and not a bishop.

Epifany offered these words for Patriarch Bartholomew on his nameday:

“Like the Apostle, Your All-Holiness resolutely condemns falsehood and evil in today’s world, fights for the establishment of peace and justice, and strengthens the great Church of Christ. Your service glorifies God, and you truly carry out the apostolic mission.”

With rising calls from Greece to reconsider the Tomos granted to the OCU, the house of cards is continuing to shake even further. On the occasion of his patronal feast, we respectfully call His Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew to repentance and reconsideration of the Tomos that has left a stain on his legacy as the longest reigning Patriarch of Constantinople and been the cause of much evil through religious persecution by the state-backed false church.

May the Holy Trinity enlighten him to the error of his ways.

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