Metropolitan Kallistos Ware, Lecturer at Oxford University, Chairman of the board of directors of the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies in Cambridge, and Honorary President of the Orthodox Association of Theological Schools (Oxford, UK), gave an interview to Ukrainian Inter TV Channel.
In his interview, Metropolitan Kallistos referred once more to the Ukrainian issue and expressed his opposition.
“I believe that today’s situation in Ukraine is extremely serious and affects not only the Orthodox Christians in Ukraine but the Orthodox Church in its entity”, said Kallistos among other things.
Furthermore, the scholar argued that “no Orthodox Church supports Ecumenical Patriarchate’s decision”.
In another part of his interview, Metropolitan Kallistos referred to the suspension of communion between the Patriarchate of Moscow and the Ecumenical Patriarchate, arguing that “from our point of view, we did not break the Holy Communion with anyone, but this is a serious situation. Therefore, according to my opinion –not the Patriarchate’s- with all due respect to Patriarch Bartholomew, I disagree with his decision”.
“It is clear to me that Ukraine has been a part of the Russian Church for 330 years – this is a fact of history and we cannot change the past”, said Metropolitan Kallistos at another part of his interview.
Finally, Kallistos suggested that a proper course of action so as to solve this situation is mutual dialogue, and urged for a Pan-Orthodox Assembly on this particular issue.