UOC-KP: Ukrainian communities in Europe don’t recognise Phanar’s authority
The Secretary of the UOC-KP Vicariate in the US said that the Patriarchate of Constantinople criticizes Filaret Denisenko to attract supporters from Ukraine.
Ukrainians who were forced to leave the country and seek asylum in Europe do not recognize the supremacy of the Constantinople Patriarchate over them, the Secretary of the Vicariate in the USA and Canada of the liquidated UOC-KP, "Bishop" Bohdan Zgoba of Philadelphia wrote on his Facebook page.
In his opinion, the non-recognition of the Phanar by Ukrainians is due to the fact that "this connection has a superficial, formal character and does not correspond to their religious beliefs and the way of communication with the Orthodox Church".
Zgoba also believes that the issue of the Ukrainian diaspora cannot be entrusted to "incompetent institutions and unreliable leaders who refuse to defend the interests of the Ukrainian people abroad".
He noted that UOC-KP head Filaret Denisenko was attacked by the Constantinople Patriarchate because of the latter's desire to attract more Ukrainian supporters.
As reported, the Phanar has transferred Filaret's parishes in Australia to its structure.