Home page News
Metropolitan Hilarion: the Patriarch of Const…

Metropolitan Hilarion: the Patriarch of Constantinople claims special privileges akin to those of the pope

On September 16-17, 2021, a conference on the primacy and conciliarity in Orthodoxy took place at the Church of Christ the Saviour. Participants spoke in particular about the consequences of the Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople’s actions trampling upon the conciliar structure of the Church and destroying her canonical order.

Answering a question of Ye. Gracheva, presenter of the Church and the World TV talk show, the head of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk stressed, “It seems to me that a truly Orthodox person will never turn away from the Church. It can be done only by one whose religiosity is superficial, who is unable to see behind human reality the reality Divine presence in the Church, who does not feel that the Church is a space in which God lives and works.

The archpastor reminded the audience that the Church consists of those who come to her with their sins, passions and their problems, and the clergy are not free from human sins either, weaknesses and passions. “Sometimes, human weaknesses influence what we call church politics or church geopolitics, when a particular Local Church begins quarrelling or when a particular person begins appropriating powers he does not have in fact”, the DECR chairman stated.

“In recent years, we have encountered with the Patriarch of Constantinople’s claims to special privileges, special powers in the Orthodox Church, which are akin to the papal powers in the Roman Catholic Church”, the hierarch continued, “But while in the western Catholic tradition there is a papal system of church governance when one person, perceived as vicar of Christ, stands over the whole Church, in our Orthodox tradition we have never had such a thing. The Orthodox Church is the family of Local Churches and their Primates are equal even if there is a special order among them in which they line in celebrating the Divine Liturgy together.

His Eminence reminded the audience that according to the order established until the 11th century, the first one was the bishop of Rome; the second after him was bishop of Constantinople followed by other Primates of Local Churches. After the rupture in communion between the Catholic and Orthodox Christians in 1054, primacy in the family of Eastern Orthodox Church passed naturally to the Patriarch of Constantinople. However, it was and is the primacy of honour, not primacy of power.

“When the Patriarch of Constantinople begins showing authoritative powers, when he declares that he can interfere in the affairs of any Local Church, reshape the boundaries of Churches and unilaterally repeal 300-years-old acts and agreements, the Local Orthodox Churches certainly disagree with it”, Metropolitan Hilarion said pointing out that precisely this was the subject of discussion at the conference on “World Orthodoxy: Primacy and Conciliarity in the Light of Orthodox Teaching”, which took place at the Church of Christ the Saviour.

 

DECR Communication Service

Share:
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill congratulates Pope Leo XIV on his election to the See of Rome

09.05.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill: AFU attack on the church in Belgorod region indicates lack of Christian faith of those who committed it 

07.05.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with Sheikh ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade, Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims’ Board

05.05.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev

03.05.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill arrives in Baku

03.05.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill sends condolences following the explosion at Iranian port of Bandar Abbas

27.04.2025

Primates of the Russian and Serbian Orthodox Churches сelebrate Liturgy at Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius

25.04.2025

Primates of the Russian and Serbian Orthodox Churches meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin

23.04.2025

A meeting of the Primates of the Russian and Serbian Orthodox Churches has taken place

22.04.2025

Сondolences of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill on the passing of Pope Francis

21.04.2025

His Holiness Patriarch celebrates Paschal vespers on Easter Sunday at Christ the Saviour Cathedral.

20.04.2025

Paschal Message by Patriarch KIRILL of Moscow and All Russia

19.04.2025

On Good Friday the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates Vespers with the Procession of the Burial Sheet of the Saviour at Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Moscow.

18.04.2025

On Thursday of Holy Week the Primate of the Russian Church celebrated the Divine Liturgy and Office for the Consecration of Myrrh at Christ the Saviour Cathedral.

17.04.2025

Patriarch Kirill addresses Primates of Local Orthodox Churches, Christian Leaders, Heads of State, and International organizations regarding law banning the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church

11.04.2025

Metropolitan Antony of Volokolamsk celebrates Divine Liturgy at the church of St. Catherine the Great Martyr in Rome

27.04.2025

DECR Chairman attended the funeral of Pope Francis

26.04.2025

DECR Chairman attends farewell ceremony for Pope Francis

25.04.2025

DECR Chairman meets with Russian Ambassador to Italy

25.04.2025

DECR Chairman begins his visit to Italy and the Vatican

24.04.2025

First Hierarch of the Serbian Church visits Donskoy Monastery in Moscow

23.04.2025

His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije visits Serbian Metochion in Moscow

23.04.2025

Primates of the Russian and Serbian Orthodox Churches meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin

23.04.2025

DECR Chairman attends a meeting of the Russia-Islamic World Strategic Vision Group

22.04.2025

A meeting of the Primates of the Russian and Serbian Orthodox Churches has taken place

22.04.2025

Delegation of the Serbian Orthodox Church arrives in Moscow headed by His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia

21.04.2025

DECR Chairman expresses condolences on the passing of Pope Francis

21.04.2025

His Holiness Patriarch celebrates Paschal vespers on Easter Sunday at Christ the Saviour Cathedral.

20.04.2025

On Good Friday the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates Vespers with the Procession of the Burial Sheet of the Saviour at Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Moscow.

18.04.2025

On Thursday of Holy Week the Primate of the Russian Church celebrated the Divine Liturgy and Office for the Consecration of Myrrh at Christ the Saviour Cathedral.

17.04.2025

Metropolitan Hilarion: Many things in a person's life depend on faith

29.08.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Holy Spirit is the main treasure of the Christian soul

01.08.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: Holiness is a constant striving to imitate the Lord Jesus Christ

27.06.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: God does not want to condemn, but to save us

07.03.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Lord always grants to us the opportunity to display our talents

24.01.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Lord has imbued the waters of Jordan with his divine presence to wash away human sins

19.01.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: to repent means to change your way of life

17.01.2021

On commemoration day of St. Catherine, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk officiated at the Church of St. Catherine the Great Martyr In-the-Fields  the representation of the Orthodox Church in America

07.12.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: We can always show compassion for people

29.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion celebrates on commemoration day of St. Varlaam of Khutyn at the church of ‘Joy to All the Afflicted’ icon of the Mother of God

19.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: We should remember that the life of each human being is in the hands of God

06.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: For God there is nothing impossible

25.10.2020

Metropoplitan Hilarion: The cross which was an instrument of dishonourable execution becomes the symbol of salvation for millions of people

27.09.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: Eucharist is the wedding feast, to which Lord Jesus Christ invites each of us

13.09.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: Faith alone is not enough for salvation

30.08.2020

Feedback

Fields marked by * are mandatory required

Send a message
Рус Укр Eng Deu Ελλ Fra Ita Бълг ქარ Срп Rom عرب