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Russian Orthodox Church – It is impossible to Continue in Eucharistic Communion with the Patriarchate of Constantinople

Minsk- Belarus: A statement published by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church stated that it is impossible for the Russian Church to continue in Eucharistic Communion with the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

At a meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, held on October 15, 2018, in Minsk, the Statement of the Holy Synod was adopted in connection with the encroachment of the Patriarchate of Constantinople on the canonical territory of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The members of the Holy Synod declared it impossible to continue their stay in the Eucharistic communion with the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

The Statement, in particular, says: “Accepting the communion of dissenters and persons anathematized in another Local Church with all the“ bishops ”and“ clergymen ”ordained by them, an assault on other people's canonical inheritances, an attempt to renounce their own historical decisions and obligations - all this takes the Patriarchate of Constantinople beyond the canonical field and, to our great sorrow, makes it impossible for us to continue Eucharistic communion with its hierarchs, clergy, and laity”.

“From now on, until the Patriarchate of Constantinople refuses to make anti-canonical decisions for all clergymen of the Russian Orthodox Church, it is impossible to serve the clergy of the Church of Constantinople, and for the laity to participate in the sacraments performed in its churches,” the document states.

The Holy Synod also urged the Primates and Sacred Synods of the Local Orthodox Churches to properly evaluate the aforementioned anticanonical acts of the Constantinople Patriarchate and jointly search for ways out of the gravest crisis that is tearing apart the body of the United Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.

The Synod declared full support for His Beatitude Onufry – Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine and requested continued prayers from everyone to overcome the present canonical crisis in Ukraine.