Review article
https://doi.org/10.34075/cs.54.4.7
Concept of Autocephalia in Orthodoxy and Current Conflict between Constantinople and Moscow
Thomas Bremer
; Katholisch-Theologische Fakultät, Ökumenisches institut, Münster, Germany
Abstract
During 2018 and 2019, church circumstances in Ukrainian Orthodoxy changed significantly. With considerable assistance of that-time Ukrainian government, the Patriarchate of Constantinople unilaterally declared the newly created “Orthodox Church of Ukraine” (OCU) an autocephalous, i.e. independent. The Russian Orthodox Church, however, regards Ukraine as its “canonical territory” and does not recognize the OCU as valid, but calls it a schismatic organization. In response to the proclamation of the OCU's autocephaly, the Russian Church terminated the Eucharistic communion with Constantinople. There is even a danger of schism that would span all Orthodoxy, depending on how other Orthodox churches would react. The current debate is due to the fact that in Orthodoxy there is no consensus on how one Church can become autocephalous. Accordingly, there are ecclesiological problems in the background that have not been resolved. The issue of autocephaly is an Orthodox issue, but for the Catholic Church and theology, especially in its current position, it is important to think about the relationship between synodality and primacy.
Keywords
Ukraine; Constantinople; Orthodox Church; autocephaly; ecclesiology
Hrčak ID:
230493
URI
Publication date:
19.12.2019.
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