Metropolitan Clement of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) emphasized that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is “independent” and suggested that the resolution of the Ukrainian church issue lies with the Pan-Orthodox Synaxis. In an interview on Ukrainian public television, Metropolitan Clement avoided directly answering the journalist’s question about which Church he considers to be the Mother Church.
“The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is independent. Who will grant it autocephaly will be determined by the local Orthodox Churches,” stated Metropolitan Clement. He further elaborated that “it is the Orthodox Churches that will ultimately resolve the conflict that has arisen today.”
When questioned about the ongoing ecclesiastical dispute, he remarked, “You ask me about things that the whole of Orthodoxy cannot answer. Today there are 14 local Churches, including the ‘Macedonian’ Church (referring to the Ohrid Archdiocese), and 11 of them question the actions of Patriarch Bartholomew regarding the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.”
Metropolitan Clement stressed that determining the Mother Church is a matter for a Pan-Orthodox Synaxis. Addressing the journalist’s inquiry on his reluctance to answer, he explained, “If I give one or the other answer, it will not satisfy the faithful of the OCU, or the faithful of the UOC.”
He concluded by stating, “I refer you to a Synaxis of all local Orthodox Churches, which will answer the question of whether the actions of Patriarch Bartholomew were right or wrong. The overwhelming majority of the Churches do not consider these actions to be firstly justified and secondly correct.”
Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
