Archpriest George Kovalenko has his own interpretation of what happened on October 11 this year at the Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. According to him, this day, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew solved the greatest problem of Ukrainians - he recognized all Orthodox believers: both clergy and their hierarchs. Kovalenko said this in an exclusive interview with Glavkom.
Archpriest George Kovalenko has his own interpretation of what happened on October 11 this year at the Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. According to him, this day, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew solved the greatest problem of Ukrainians - he recognized all Orthodox believers: both clergy and their hierarchs. Kovalenko said this in an exclusive interview with Glavkom.
“This does not solely open the way for the hierarchs to participate in the Unification Council. For me, this is a question that decides the fate of ordinary people. Now they can come to any church, receive communion in any church,” the priest said.
For this particular reason, prior to the meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church in Minsk (on October 15, the Holy Synod “recognized it impossible to further remain in the Eucharistic communion with the Patriarchate of Constantinople” - ed.), Fr Kovalenko posted a statement on social media stating his group “Open Orthodoxy” is not to break ties with the Universal Orthodoxy. At the same time, the priest wrote that he would remain in unity with the clergy and the faithful of the Moscow Patriarchate, who would be open for this. He also assured that he wanted to be in unity with the newly established local Church, “if it is recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarch and the universal Orthodoxy.”
“The Church is not an army where only binding orders are issued. Although even in the army soldiers can refuse to fulfil criminal orders. If some decisions of the church leaders do not conform with the Gospel’s spirit, the canons of the Church, the clergy, the hierarchs, and their faithful may take a different view,” says Archpriest George Kovalenko.