Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew criticized the Moscow Patriarchate and made pointed remarks concerning Serbian Patriarch Porfirije during an address on Wednesday evening, August 12, on his native island of Imbros.
The Ecumenical Patriarch focused, on the one hand, on the Moscow Patriarchate’s presence in Africa, which he described as an “uncanonical intrusion” into the canonical jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, and, on the other, on the fact that the Serbian Patriarch has yet to make an official visit to the Ecumenical Patriarchate following his election and enthronement.
The remarks were made at the Church of Saint George in Agioi Theodoroi, the Ecumenical Patriarch’s native village, following Great Vespers for the Apodosis of the Feast …
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew criticized the Moscow Patriarchate and made pointed remarks concerning Serbian Patriarch Porfirije during an address on Wednesday evening, August 12, on his native island of Imbros.
The Ecumenical Patriarch focused, on the one hand, on the Moscow Patriarchate’s presence in Africa, which he described as an “uncanonical intrusion” into the canonical jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, and, on the other, on the fact that the Serbian Patriarch has yet to make an official visit to the Ecumenical Patriarchate following his election and enthronement.
The remarks were made at the Church of Saint George in Agioi Theodoroi, the Ecumenical Patriarch’s native village, following Great Vespers for the Apodosis of the Feast of the Transfiguration and the Paraklesis to the Most Holy Theotokos.
Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria and All Africa presided over the service, with Archbishop Ioannis of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania also presiding, while Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew prayerfully attended from the Holy Altar.
“Uncanonical intrusion” by Moscow in Africa
In his address, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew spoke warmly of the missionary work carried out by Patriarch Theodore II and the Patriarchate of Alexandria across the African continent, highlighting the challenging circumstances under which this ministry is conducted.
Against this background, he strongly criticized the Moscow Patriarchate, accusing it of entering the canonical territory of the Patriarchate of Alexandria in recent years and establishing parallel ecclesiastical structures.
The Moscow Patriarchate, he said, “in an entirely uncanonical manner intruded into the canonical jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Alexandria” and “created a parallel jurisdiction,” including by sending bishops to South Africa and Cairo.
According to the Ecumenical Patriarch, instead of assisting Patriarch Theodore and his collaborators in their missionary work among the peoples of Africa, the Russian Orthodox Church has chosen to act in competition with them.
“Our Ecumenical Patriarchate stood by the Church of Saint Mark, the Church of Alexandria,” Patriarch Bartholomew stressed.
He also spoke of what he described as the “ingratitude of the Church of Russia” toward the Mother Church of Constantinople, “from which they received the light of the Christian faith and civilization.”
Praise for Archbishop Ioannis of Albania
The Ecumenical Patriarch adopted a markedly different tone when speaking about Archbishop Ioannis of Albania, who was present at the service.
Patriarch Bartholomew noted that the new Primate of the Orthodox Church of Albania had “taken up the mantle” of the late Archbishop Anastasios and was continuing the work established by his predecessor “with zeal, conscientiousness and fear of God.”
Pointed remarks concerning Serbian Patriarch Porfirije
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew then made pointed remarks concerning other Orthodox Primates, implicitly referring to Serbian Patriarch Porfirije and his “failure” to make an official visit to the Ecumenical Patriarchate since his election and enthronement.
Without naming Patriarch Porfirije in the specific passage, Patriarch Bartholomew observed that some Primates, despite “four or five years” having passed since their election and enthronement, continue to delay fulfilling what he described as their duty toward the Church of Constantinople.
“Although they visited other Churches, the fourth and the fifth, they omitted the first,” the Ecumenical Patriarch remarked.