EP meets with Jerusalem over upcoming conference

(Orthodox Times) - The Ecumenical Patriarch warned the representatives of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, during their meeting about the issue of the future Synaxis in Amman.

Moreover, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew told the representatives that the discussions should have taken place beforehand and not afterwards and warned them that the stance of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem would jeopardise the unity in the Orthodox world for which the Ecumenical Patriarchate would strive.

They also discussed amicably all the aspects of the crisis that had arisen. According to orthodoxia.info, during the discussions, the representatives alleged that “the Patriarch of Jerusalem was trapped”. They were trying to persuade the Ecumenical Patriarch and the priests sitting by his side that Jerusalem supported Constantinople and that held the same views.

Despite the persistent questions about the agenda of the meeting in Amman and the reasons that led the Patriarchate of Jerusalem to this initiative, the answers given were unsatisfactory.

One hierarch said that the representatives gave him the impression that “they did not really know why they were doing this” and noted that the fact that they could not find any arguments in favour of their views showed that it was not a decision they made on their own.

The deadlock in which the Patriarchate of Jerusalem finds itself was conspicuous in the above-mentioned meeting. One of the hierarchs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate told them that if the Russian Orthodox Church continued with its expansion plans, they would be their next target, considering that their pilgrimage sites are of strategic importance.

The Ecumenical Patriarch reportedly made clear that neither he nor representatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate would attend the gathering in Amman. He also asked them if they had invited the Metropolitan of Kyiv. According to some sources, the representatives of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem did not give a clear answer as to who would go to Jordan, whereas they spoke of seven Churches that would send either their primates or representatives.