"The Patriarch of Constantinople has appropriated the right to convene an Ecumenical Council on his own accord, without relying on any church rules. It is not stated anywhere that he has such a right," the patriarch said at the eighth "Faith and Word" international festival of orthodox media.
Last week, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Kiev Patriarchate (UOC-KP) head Filaret Denisenko said that Bartholomew was responsible for announcing the date for convening a new Ecumenical Council, during which autocephaly would be granted to the UOC-KP.
Earlier in October, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople launched preparations for granting autocephaly to the non-canonical UOC-KP. In response, the Russian Orthodox Church decided to completely break Eucharistic communion with the Constantinople Patriarchate.
The Russian Orthodox Church stated that the Constantinople Patriarchate’s move to revoke the 1686 act transferring the Kiev archdiocese to the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate was canonically void.
