www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Who is Patriarch Elijah ....

and the Ukrainian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church?

I hope I am not touching a sore spot here with some folks. I saw a video on YouTube and all I want to know is a description of this Patriarch and his Church.

Thank you.

Hmmm a good summary can be found on :-

this page [en.wikipedia.org]



and that I think sums them up

Okay. He and the "Church" he leads are schismatics, right?

Perhaps I am uncertain what you mean by, "Are they Orthodox?" but from reading the article linked above, it appears to me that they have been excommununicated and their bishops declared invalid.

Perhaps a kinder description of Non-canonical could be used - they are certainly not in Communion with the UGCC , their clergy having been ex-communicated, and therefore they are not in Communion with the Latin Church either.

I'm not entirely sure how the canonical Orthodox Churches would regard them but as they proclaim themselves to be Catholic - they would certainly not be permitted to approach the Chalice for Communion there either.

How they are regarded by the SSPX - I have no idea , but the SSPX still have their own problems to sort out.

All this can, I suspect, be summed up as - they are their own Church , answerable only to their own clergy , and believe, and proclaim to anyone who will listen , that all the rest of us are wrong .

Yes, they are only "Orthodox" in the English translation of the Ukrainian "pravovirny" or "right-believing."

They regard Orthodox as "schismatics." These were a group of UGCC Basilians who formed their own "church" and declared themselves "bishops."

They have hurled excommunications at the Roman Catholic Church and the UGCC, saying they are complicit in the "homosexualization" of the Church and the like.

As for the "patriarch Elias," he has the same canonical status as our Mor Ephrem here . . . (Phil was enthroned a patriarch of New Orleans and North America by a number of Forum members, myself included, several years back . . .)

Alex