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The unifying council in Kiev last Saturday, where the decision to create a new church structure had been announced, was commented by several countries, RIA Novosti reports.
The Belarusian Orthodox Church (BOC) views the new church structure in Ukraine as a schismatic one. According to the head of the BOC’s Synodal information department, archpriest Sergiy Lepin, the communication with its representatives are possible only on civilian level. The archpriest expressed the hope that the Kiev would keep the promise not to pursue the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC).
The Bulgarian Orthodox Church (BOC) called the council "uncanonical." The member of the BOC Holy Synod bishop Daniil Vidinsky questioned the results of the council which was held in contradiction with the canon and with the participants outside the Church participate. According to him, the council will deepen the division among the worshippers in Ukraine.
The Estonian Orthodox Church (EOC) considers Metropolitan Onuphrius as the head of the UOC. "There is no change for us in this regard. These churches (The Kiev Patriarchate of the UOC and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church) have always been considered schismatic. The fact that they have made one church instead of two does not change anything, " the spokesman for the Moscow Patriarchate of the EOC said Daniil Lepisk said.
He reminded that the Holy Synod of the Moscow Patriarchate of the EOC strongly condemned the anti-canonical actions of the Patriarch of Constantinople in Ukraine back in October and noted that the Orthodoxy of Ukraine would be severely damaged, and the Ukrainian Orthodox worshippers would suffer discrimination without their temples and monasteries.
Moldova has also reacted to the decision of Kiev. The Bishop of Balti and Falesti Markell called the church split in Ukraine a parody of autocephaly and misfortune for religious people. He expressed the hope that this would not happen again and would not affect other nations and other churches, because current events were a mockery of the Orthodox traditions.
According to him, there will be no peace and tranquility in the souls of worshippers while the politicians interfere in the affairs of the church.
Russkiy Mir
