Pat. Bartholomew: Accusations Against Constantinople Are Deliberate Distortions of the Truth
Pat. Bartholomew rejected claims that Constantinople acts arbitrarily, calling such accusations a distortion of Orthodox tradition and a threat to Church unity.
ISTANBUL — On December 25, 2025, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew addressed Pat. Daniel and the Bulgarian Church delegation, rejecting recent accusations that the Patriarchate of Constantinople had violated Orthodox Church order. Speaking on the theme of unity, he emphasized that claims portraying the Great Church as acting arbitrarily are “a deception and a deliberate distortion of the truth.”
Pat. Bartholomew highlighted that the primacy of Constantinople was established over centuries and stressed that the careful preservation of the patristic legacy is not subject to criticism. He expressed concern that debates over the Constantinopolitan primacy have recently become a source of division within Orthodoxy, noting that personal interests and misinterpretations of tradition sometimes overshadow the Church’s conciliar principles.
The Patriarch concluded by reaffirming the importance of maintaining unity and fidelity to Orthodox tradition, warning against attempts to challenge the established order for self-serving reasons, and underlining that respect for the patristic heritage remains central to the Church’s life.
Previously, the UOJ reported that Met. Meletiy blamed the Tomos of Autocephaly granted to the OCU by Pat. Bartholomew as the root cause of the ongoing religious strife in Ukraine.
