Serbian Patriarch Irenaeus sent a message to Patriarch Bartholomew, explaining his position on the autocephaly of the now unrecognized “churches.” The message on ten pages is timed to the decision of the Bishops’ Council on the “Ukrainian Orthodox Church”.
The patriarch is against the situation, when any newly-formed state can have its own church, – the Serbian media outlets broadcast certain details of the text.
In particular, Patriarch Irenaeus expresses concern that such a dangerous principle for Orthodoxy in the future will be applied to the Macedonian church, which now belongs to the Serbian Orthodox Church, but is making attempts to split.
The head of the SPC assures that such provision of autocephaly violates the canonical and historical rights of the Church.