Constantinople a threat to Orthodox unity claims Moscow

18 June 2008, (Interfax) - The Constantinople Church's actions in church politics is one of the main challenges to Orthodox unity, the Moscow Patriarchate believes.

"One of the main threats is Constantinople's aggressive policy as it may lead to the schism of Orthodox world," Russian Orthodox Church Representative to European International Organizations Bishop Hilarion of Vienna and Austria said in an interview published on Wednesday by the NG-Religion paper.

He points out that the Constantinople Patriarchate has recently "intensified its efforts to secure their primate's role as "the Eastern Pope," the supreme arbiter and head of the entire Orthodox diaspora."

"Main opponent of Constantinople and the only Church capable to contest its claims for hegemony in Orthodox world is the Russian Church. For this reason, Constantinople seeks to weaken, divide and deplete it in all fields," the bishop said.