The United States supports the right of the Ukraine Orthodox religiouis leaders and followers to pursue autocephaly, the US Department of State spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a statement on Tuesday.
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th September, 2018) The United States supports the right of the Ukraine Orthodox religiouis leaders and followers to pursue autocephaly, the US Department of State spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a statement on Tuesday.
"The United States respects the ability of Ukraine's Orthodox religious leaders and followers to pursue autocephaly according to their beliefs," Nauert said.
The Russian Orthodox Church condemned the Kiev's move to require autocephaly, saying that the anti-canonical measures in Ukraine threatened to split the Orthodox world.
Earlier in September, Patriarch Kyrill of Moscow and All Russia discussed the issue with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople. After the meeting, the Constantinople church sent two exarchs to Ukraine as part of the preparation to grant autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
In response, the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church decided that Patriarch Kirill will cease commemoration of Patriarch Bartholomew.
According to the canons of Orthodox Christianity, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople is the first among equal church leaders, and can grant autocephaly - independence - only to a recognized church when all other local churches agree with his decision. In the case of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, most churches oppose the granting of autocephaly.
On Sunday, Patriarch Bartholomew said he would soon grant autocephaly to the Ukraine Orthodox Church just as granting such status earlier to the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, adding that he was not afraid of threats.
The head of unrecognized Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate Filaret (Denisenko) visited Washington, DC on Wednesday and called on the United States to help them obtain autocephaly.
Apart from the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, which is recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, other orthodox churches also operate in the country. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is trying to achieve their recognition and create a single local autocephalous church in Ukraine.
