His Beatitude Irinaios of Jerusalem: “The settlement of the church schism in Ukraine is an internal affair of the Moscow Patriarchate”

HIS BEATITUDE IRINAIOS OF JERUSALEM: “THE SETTLEMENT OF THE CHURCH SCHISM IN UKRAINE IS AN INTERNAL AFFAIR OF THE MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE”

As the press service of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has reported, His Beatitude Patriarch Irinaios of Jerusalem met in Jerusalem with His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and All Ukraine who has come to the Holy Land of a pilgrimage.

In the course of a long talk, they discussed burning problems of the church life today.

Concerning the situation in Ukraine, the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem said in particular that “the settlement of the Ukrainian church conflict is in the direct competence of the Moscow Patriarchate of which the schismatics of the so-called “Kiev Patriarchate” are a part, which though has separated itself.

According to His Beatitude Patriarch Irinaios, the settlement of this problem “is an internal affair of the Moscow Patriarch”.

Having expressed support for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in her opposition to the schism, His Beatitude Patriarch Irinaios re-affirmed the firm canonical attitude expressed earlier by his predecessor, His Beatitude Patriarch Diodoros of Jerusalem.