The decision of the Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, adopted on February 29, 2024, is causing heated discussions in the Orthodox world. With the move, the Romanian Church is trying to expand its influence on Ukraine by supporting the creation of a separate religious organization, the “Romanian Orthodox Church in Ukraine”.
Such a step, according to OCU bishop Viktor (Bed’), is not only provocative, but also non-canonical, and threatens the unity of Ecumenical Orthodoxy.
Amid the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war, going on since 2014, such a decision of the Romanian Church is considered an unfriendly step that may hinder the process of peaceful settlement and the deepening of divided relations.
“The adoption of such a contemptuous and provocative decision against Ukraine and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, in particular, in the conditions of the Russo-Ukrainian war, shows the great influence on the political community of Romania (the Romanian government) and the hierarchy of the Romanian Orthodox Church of the FSB and the Moscow Patriarchate, which destabilize the unity of EU member states, NATO members, and Universal Orthodoxy by all tools,” writes the bishop of the OCU.
According to the cleric, Ukraine and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine should not allow such a provocation, but should take urgent measures to protect national and religious security.
