The Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia has announced the cessation of eucharistic communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople due to the intention of the latter to grant the autocephaly to the Ukrainian church.
Read alsoMajority of Ukrainians support autocephaly of Ukrainian church – poll
"We inform our clergy and believers that the eucharistic communion with Constantinople is currently impossible, both for the bishops and the clergy, and for the laity," reads the statement.
The church said it would not restore relations with Constantinople until it "ceased its lawlessness."
The Synod emphasized the clergy of the Russian Church cannot now serve in any parish of the Church of Constantinople or invite the clergy of the latter to serve in Russian churches.
"In addition, the laity are not allowed to take communion in the churches of the Constantinople Patriarchate. We also inform the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia will not participate in any theological church meetings, as well as in dialogues, including regional assemblies of canonical bishops that are headed (or whose co-chairmen are) bishops and priests of the Church of Constantinople," it added.
As UNIAN reported earlier, on October 15, the Russian Orthodox Church issued a statement announcing a break-up in ties with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The move follows the statement by the Ecumenical Patriarchate to proceed to granting autocephaly to the Church of Ukraine, reinstate heads of the UOC-KP and UAOC – Filaret and Makariy – in their canonical status, as well as abolish the legal binding of the Synod's Letter of 1686, thus taking the Kyiv Metropolis from under Moscow's canonical jurisdiction.
