With the help of communities under its influence, Russia is trying to influence personnel appointments in the Archdiocese of America, which is in the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
This is reported by Ukrinform citing The Orthodox News.
"Autocephaly of Ukraine was a "childish" confrontation, given the conflict that exists between the Phanar (Ecumenical Patriarchate - Ed.) and Moscow. Now the "war" has reached another level after the church's" penetration" of Russians into the United States. The confrontation has ecclesiastical and, of course, political overtones," the newspaper writes.
It is noted that we are talking about outrage against the decision of the Archdiocese of America to appoint Archimandrite Alexander Beliy to the post of Vicar of the Slavic Orthodox Vicariate.
The publication recalls that earlier the Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate promoted Alexander Beliy, who was dismissed from the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad in February 2020 and appointed him bishop of Nicopolis.
"The Russians, with all the communities they influence, are trying to create problems for the Archdiocese of America," the publication points out. He added that the Ecumenical Patriarchate demonstrated support for the Archdiocese of America and its head, Archbishop Elpidophorus, on this issue.