On the Feast of Theophany, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, accompanied by Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv, issued an appeal to Metropolitan Onufriy to reconsider his stance. He asked that everyone pray together “first for ecclesiastical peace.”
The Feast of Theophany holds special significance for both Ukraine and the Ecumenical Patriarch. Seven years ago, the Ecumenical Patriarch signed the Tomos of Autocephaly, granting the Ukrainian Orthodox Church independence.
During this year’s celebration, the Ecumenical Patriarch explained the reasons that led the Mother Church of Constantinople to make this decision.
“Our motives,” he said, “were entirely ecclesiological. We were not guided by expediency, nor did we make a hasty or superficial judgment on this long-standing issue, as some have accused us. As was our duty, we received the repeated urgent appeals submitted to us. Even before receiving these appeals, and beyond the responsibility derived from the urgent nature of the matter, we took the initiative to mediate and bring peace to all parties.”
In his address, the Ecumenical Patriarch did not offer soothing words. He emphasized that reconciliation requires the parties involved to abandon “the obsessive certainty that each side alone possesses the absolute truth.” As the Church’s experience teaches us, such cases require sacrifices to find a golden mean. In ecclesiastical life, justice always favors the weak. The Church’s approach to justice differs from that of the secular system. In our faith, the strong are the weak—those who recognize their errors with a sincere intent to repent. Recognizing past events, we forgave the wayward and restored the canonical order in Ukraine as defined by the Great Church of Christ before it was violated.
Referring to the nearly four-year-long war following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Ecumenical Patriarch stressed, “We pray to the Lord to end this monstrous and inhumane state of war. Once again, as we have done many times before, we call upon the Ukrainian hierarchy under Metropolitan Onuphrius to reconsider its stance.”
Patriarch Bartholomew emphasized that he condemns extremism in Ukraine “wherever it comes from,” and he advised the country’s state authorities to refrain from intervening in internal church affairs.
“We are offering one more opportunity and inviting unity, while apologizing if our silence gave the impression to some that we held any perspective other than an ecclesiastical one regarding this entire matter.”
Metropolitan Epiphanius of Kyiv, who concelebrated with the Ecumenical Patriarch during the Great Blessing of the Waters and the Divine Liturgy, expressed his gratitude to the Patriarch and the Patriarchate for granting autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
“Your Holiness, you and the Holy and Sacred Synod heard the requests of the church and people of Ukraine. Seven years ago, you responded in writing, sealing that response with unity in prayer and the divine eucharist. Today, on this symbolic and historic day for us all, we have come from Ukraine to express our gratitude once again, in person, to the Mother Church and to Your Holiness for all that you have done and continue to do for Ukraine.”
Metropolitan Epifaniy then addressed the Russian Church’s stance from the beginning of the war. Not only did they fail to condemn the aggression, but they also began to endorse the war against Ukraine through their Patriarch and many others, calling it a “holy war.”
“During these four years, we have seen the impious teaching of the ‘Russian world,’ contrary to the Gospel and the Church’s tradition, deeply penetrate the Russian Church environment and even extend beyond its borders. This teaching and its followers introduce ethnonational division into the Church of Christ. We see this not only in Ukraine, but also in countries in Africa, Europe, and worldwide,” he emphasized.
Alongside the Ecumenical Patriarch and Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv, the following Metropolitans concelebrated: Joseph of Prinkipos, Simeon of Vinnytsia and Bar, Irenaeus of Myriophyton and Peristasis, Chrysostomos of Myra, Theoleptos of Iconium, Hilarion of Rivne and Ostroh, Kyrillos of Krynë, and Theodoros of Seleucia.
After the Divine Liturgy, the two primates, hierarchs, archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, officials, and the faithful processed to the Phanar quay, where His Holiness presided over the ceremony of immersing the Holy Cross in the Golden Horn.
Over 50 people from Istanbul, Imbros (Greece), and other countries dove into the blue waters of the Golden Horn. The Ecumenical Patriarch presented Mr. Vasileios Konstantinidis from Drama, who retrieved the cross for the second consecutive year, with a gold pectoral cross as a blessing. He also blessed all the other swimmers and gave them small commemorative gifts.
Photo: Nikos Papachristou / Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou
