So, three years have passed since the Patriarch of Constantinople took the unacknowledged schismatics under his omophorion.

Then, at the turn of 2018-2019, some naive people might really thought that the Orthodox believers of Ukraine dreamed of autocephality, and Patriarch Bartholomew really wanted to overcome the ukrainian church schism.

However, contrary to all the forecasts of the unfair "experts", what done is done: the schismatics united for a short time, several representatives of the clergy from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church joined them, but in fact, nothing has changed.

The believers of the UOC have been loyal to their Hierarchy and the Church, and they remain so to this day. And various schismatic groups have been enemiesfor each other, and continue to be enemies. The aggression against believers by schismatics and the capturing of churches have not disappeared either. As we can see, everything has remained as it is. The schism wasn’t overcome.

Did the leaders of the Fener draw any conclusions from what happened? Maybe they feel sorry about what happened? Unfortunately, no, they don't.

During this whole long period, there was nocue of regret or repentance. On the contrary, all the statements of Patriarch Bartholomew about Ukraine have not changed at all.

But did this situation do good for the Patriarch of Constantinople himself, even if not in a spiritual, then, at least, in an earthly, transitory sense? No. The fact that a group of confused schismaticadmitted you as a "great master" is little consolation. Was it really worth starting everything for the sake of a just titular power over Orthodox Ukraine? It’s asuspicious achievement.

The same applies to those hierarchs who supported the schism. Having forgotten all the previous promises about the support of canonical Orthodoxy in the ukrainian land, they hurried to admit the schismatics. If they feel sorry today, it is only because conscientious priests have began to leave them. And even then, they experience it completely selfishly, as if their actions were not the reason of what happened, according to the principle of "Why are exactly we guilty?".

At the same time, here, on the long-suffering ukrainian land, Orthodoxy continues its mission without looking back at all the "great ones" in their own eyes, who, according to Christ, "desire the first places at feasts and words of respect in the market-places" (Matthew 23:7). Despite the captures and threats, new temples are being built, new parishes and monasteries are being opened.

And this does not happen "for evil" and not "in spite" of someone on Fener. Theseall are done for the love of the Lord and His Church. And this love will conquer everything.

Recorded by Natalia Goroshkova