Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, by inviting the primates of the ancient patriarchates to a fraternal meeting, is seeking to rein in the activities of Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, who has recently been positioning himself as a potential mediator in resolving the Ukrainian issue.
This is according to an article published by Orthodox Times.
The editorial stresses that through this meeting, the Ecumenical Patriarch seeks to demonstrate the cohesion and unity of the Churches, particularly at such a critical juncture and against the backdrop of tensions that have arisen among the local Orthodox Churches in recent years.
According to information obtained by Orthodox Times, through this initiative Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is also reaffirming the role of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. It is the Ecumenical Patriarch who has the right and duty to convene meetings of the primates of the Orthodox Churches and coordinate their proceedings.
“By doing so, he is also seeking to rein in the activities of Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, who has recently been positioning himself as a potential mediator in resolving the Ukrainian issue,” the article stresses.
As is known, the Patriarch of Jerusalem recently gave an interview in which he stated his intention to act as a mediator on the Ukrainian issue and announced forthcoming meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
It should also be recalled that several years ago Patriarch Theophilos convened a “fraternal meeting” in Amman, Jordan, to discuss the Ukrainian issue. The initiative ended in failure because of the extremely limited number of participants.
“The influence exerted by the Russian Orthodox Church on the Patriarchates of Jerusalem and Antioch has not gone unnoticed. A key task is to maintain the Phanar’s dialogue with both Patriarch Theophilos and Patriarch John in order to prevent these two Churches from becoming isolated. It should be noted that the Patriarch of Antioch has yet to say whether he will accept the Ecumenical Patriarch’s invitation,” the article states.
As LF reported, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew invited the Patriarchs of Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem to a fraternal meeting on November 30, the feast day of the Church of Constantinople. The Ecumenical Patriarch linked the proposed Synaxis to the enduring significance of the ancient institution of the Pentarchy and to the pastoral responsibility of the Eastern Patriarchates in the absence of full communion with the Church of Rome.
