The Russian Orthodox Church hopes that the Patriarchate of Constantinople will "move from monologue to dialogue," as only dialogue will help solve inter-Orthodox problems. This was stated to journalists by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, writes Global Orthodox.
"I think that the solution of inter-Orthodox problems lies in the plane of dialogue (...) We hope that sooner or later reason will prevail, that the Patriarchate of Constantinople will move from monologue to dialogue, that it will be possible to discuss the problems that have arisen at the pan-Orthodox level. Maybe then some kind of solution will be found by the conciliar mind, as has happened more than once in the history of the Church," the metropolitan said.
Metropolitan Hilarion noted that the primates of the churches should meet, discuss problems, and when one decides everything for everyone and says that he has some special privileges received from the apostles, then "it's just madness."
"We are not going to act in this logic, we will continue the service that we carry, and if clergymen or laypeople from those Churches who have associated themselves with the schism turn to us, we have no right to refuse them, that's our logic," Metropolitan Hilarion said.
Recently, the Synod of the Patriarchate of Constantinople decided that the creation of an exarchate in Africa by the Russian Orthodox Church is anti-canonical, the Synod of the Patriarchate of Constantinople decided and spoke in favor of restoring canonical order on the African continent. This is stated in the message of the Synod following the meeting held on January 11 under the chairmanship of Patriarch Bartholomew.