Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon Accuses Moscow Patriarchate Schismatic

Pic : A. Volkov

UOJ and OCP News Service – 21/03/2025

Chalcedon – Turkey: Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon (Constantinople Patriarchate) has denounced the Moscow Patriarchate as schismatic, accusing it of willingly submitting to Kremlin influence.

In a March 15 interview with Le Point, he dismissed claims that the granting of autocephaly to Ukraine caused division in the Orthodox Church. He asserted that Constantinople has historically defended Orthodox independence against political interference, from the Russian Empire to the Soviet era.

Metropolitan Emmanuel criticized the Moscow Patriarchate for merging faith with state power, calling the ideology of the “Russian World” a modern heresy. Citing the 1872 Council of Eastern Patriarchs, which condemned nationalism in the Church, he warned that Moscow’s actions contradict the principles of true Orthodoxy.

He reaffirmed that the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s decision on Ukraine was both legitimate and necessary, emphasizing that Orthodoxy must remain free from political influence, while Moscow continues to fuel division within the Church.

Source:
OCP News Service