Filaret expects autocephaly from Moscow, - OCU speaker

This opinion was expressed by the spokesman of the OCU, Archbishop Yevstratiy (Zorya), in the comments under his Facebook post, NEWS UA reports.

Filaret " is confident that in the near future Moscow will "grant real autocephaly to the UOC" (UOC-MP - Ed.) and he, Patriarch Filaret, will be "the patriarch of this real autocephalous church." Therefore, it is only necessary to" wait "and" not give in", " Archbishop Yevstratiy wrote.

According to Archbishop Yevstratiy, Moscow's henchmen convinced Filaret that it would be pleasant for him – and he believed it himself.

"And any attempts to explain that these ideas are completely absurd are simply ignored. "You don't understand anything... you don't have any experience."

In addition, Archbishop Yevstratiy said that Patriarch Emeritus Filaret wanted to satisfy the appeal (lifting the anathema from the Russian Orthodox Church and the Tomos), and what and would happen next and how it would happen – he, as it turned out, did not care.

"That is, all the problems that the Ecumenical Patriarch had and still has in connection with these acts, all the attacks of Moscow – these are "its own problems". "If we get the Tomos, we will put an end to it," Patriarch Filaret said. And how to implement everything in relations with other Churches is "not his problem," the Archbishop of the OCU wrote, calling it an "unsightly position."

"He had every opportunity to be a truly Patriarch Emeritus, not to lead the Church formally, but to be an elder-mentor, to whose authoritative opinion everyone listens. And he decided that the main thing is a leadership position, that the Tomos and the decision of the council should simply be thrown in the trash, and only listen to it. "As long as I'm alive, listen to me, and then do what you want" – these are also his words. That is, he will split the Church anew, quarrel with Constantinople for the sake of a koukoulion (the headdress of the Patriarchs – Ed.) and "die in the rank of a Patriarch", and then all of you will be clearing the mess after such activities," said Archbishop Yevstratiy, the spokesman of the OCU.

He explained that Filaret could not lead the newly created Church, because then no church would recognize the OCU: "... during the visits of the Ecumenical Patriarch's delegation to the Primates, all local Churches stated that they would not recognize the Tomos of autocephaly in any case if Patriarch Filaret headed the Local Church."