source – spzh.eu
The Swiss schema-archimandrite revealed details of what he says was external pressure on the Ecumenical Patriarch’s decisions.
Renowned Orthodox theologian Schema-Archimandrite Gabriel (Bunge) said that the head of the Ecumenical Patriarchate intervened in Church affairs in Ukraine under direct pressure from the U.S. government.
The 86-year-old elder, who lives at a monastery in Roveredo, Switzerland, shared details he said had become known to him. According to Gabriel, Patriarch Bartholomew acknowledged the real reasons behind his decisions in a private conversation with a Greek ambassador.
“I know from a reliable source that Patriarch Bartholomew told a Greek ambassador that if the Americans had not put such intense pressure on him, he would never have done it – he would never have split the Church,” Schema-Archimandrite Gabriel said.
He added that some other primates of Local Churches had also yielded to similarly intense pressure.
“Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens also came under tremendous pressure and gave in. But why did these men, our primates, not simply put their panagias on the table and say, ‘No, not with me. I do not want to stain my good name’? Personally, I cannot understand it.”
Elder Gabriel particularly emphasized what he described as the gravity of the canonical offense committed by those responsible for the schism.
“A bishop or patriarch who has caused a schism in the Church, whatever the reasons, cannot wash away that sin even with his own blood,” Schema-Archimandrite Gabriel said. “That is what the Holy Fathers teach.”
The Swiss patristics scholar expressed regret over what he described as the lack of repentance among those responsible and said that such actions would inevitably fail the judgment of history.
As the UOJ reported, a U.S. State Department official discussed religious freedom in Ukraine with an exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Who is the “reliable source” this Elder Gabriel speaks of? It’s a mystery.
I don’t think Elder Gabriel is trying to speak as an authority on Ukraine here either. He is merely expressing his opinion on the matter, based on what he knows and has heard from his trusted “reliable source”.
Elder Gabriel has lived as a hermit since 1980, first as a Roman Catholic monk, and only in 2010 converting to Orthodoxy as a hermit under the Moscow Patriarchate. He has no internet access. My best guess is that his “reliable source” also comes from the Moscow Patriarchate, so it is no surprise that his viewpoint coincides with them.
Joseph – everyone sees you are a troll…
I have repeatedly written about a similar source: a Greek diplomat with deep knowledge of Ukraine, whom I know and trust 100%. My “Greek diplomat” has written a timely letter to the heretic and corrupt Bartholomew, warning him not to proceed with Autocephaly, as it would cause big problems for Greece and Hellenism in general – and for the Constantinople Patriarchate itself. When I get the OK, I will reveal his name. Right now, it is covered by “diplomatic privilege”. Bartholomew ignored the warning and caused great damage to both Orthodoxy and Hellenism globally. I have explained in plain terms MANY TIMES that Hellenism has FOUR ECUMENICAL PILLARS: Cultural Heritage, Diaspora, Maritime tradition, and Orthodoxy. Heretic and corrupt Bartholomew managed during his tenure to damage two of them, Diaspora and Orthodoxy. When his (equally heretical and corrupt) Archbishops and Metropolitans keep an open line with the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Hellenic Diaspora ceases to be the most precious asset of Hellenism. Similarly, when Orthodoxy is divided, it cannot be an asset for Hellenism.
This is what we are dealing with: the most failed Patriarch of the last 200 years, at least.
Are you going to dispute my “Greek Diplomat” source too? You are such a paid propagandist, a real troll, and a fool.
St Paisios and other saints didn’t have internet either and they knew a heck more than you do, with internet available and plenty of fake knees that are brain washing you. Look to news from holy people, not the internet
Yes, Joseph you are a broken record—endlessly repeating the same song over, and over. You are evidently suffering from acute ROCDS.
In July of 2018, AB Demetrios showed up in Washington DC. It wasn’t exactly a “spiritual visit”…he met with Pompeo at the State Department. Articles were written at the time claiming that the Justice Department’s investigation on “cash from the restricted accounts for St. Nicholas” was a topic of discussion…
Soon after that, Constantinople went “full force” on the Ukrainian tomos, reversing an opinion on the Ukrainian Schismatics that Bartholomew had signed twice in letters to Moscow in 1992 and 1997…
Whether they call it “external pressure”, or the reports of “funds flowing from Poroshenko” in the subsequent months, someone clearly convinced Constantinople to abandon Christ’s teaching of “let your YES mean YES…”, and “unsign”, what had been “signed” twice in the past…
The question is not just who pressured him , but what kind of people would pressure Bartholomew to divide the Orthodox Churches of the world , and use religion to support persecution, State Spondored Terrorism and banning of houses of worship? The same kind of people who supported Adolp Hitler, Benjamen Netayahue, Donald Trump , Joe Bdien , Zelensky and those who will be attending and honoring Zelensky at the Archdiocese Dinner on September 26, 2026! Joseph..soon you will know …soon!
I get the US put pressure on the Patriarch and the Archbishop of Athens.
Patriarchs and Bishops like all Orthodox might be called upon to become martyrs
In times of persecution. But were the US really going to kill them if they refused to recognize the pseudo church?
Both Patriarch and Archbishop (along with Theodore of Alexandria)are pathetically weak for succumbing to pressure. At the White House last year, Trump and Vance criticized the Patriarch for his actions in Ukraine.
The US no longer supports the pseudo church. At least Trump does not. So the Patriarchs and Archbishop could if they wanted they could repent and reverse themselves. My guess is Patriarch Bartholomew does not wish to reverse himself.
Theodoros, you hit the nail on the head. What exactly would the U.S. and other parties have done to Bartholomew (and Theodore of Alexandria) if they didn’t cooperate? I highly doubt kill them. They are just old, weak and feeble-minded old men. Whatever happened to the tough bishops of old that suffered torture, eye gouging and having their tongues cut out for protecting and preserving the Holy Orthodox Faith? What happened to them? Every time I see a picture of Bartholomew and his crooked cronies, I just want to vomit.
You want your bishop to have his eyes gouged out and his tongue cut off?
Lord have mercy!
No one would have gutted their tongue off or grouched their eyes, so stop asking stupid questions. Not because of fear of the gutting of the tongue and grouching of their eyes they sold the OC out, so it must be something else.
A similar statement was made by a UOC bishop in Ukraine.
If patr. Barto would want to stop the persecution he could immediately do so.
I am very sad that he created the persecution and even more sad that he can stop it at any moment but he won’t.
One day the Church of Constantinople will apologize for being responsible of persecuting the UOC bishops just like it did after persecuting St Nektarious. It may not happen in our life time but it will happen.
The OC always had holy bishops and traitor bishops. God exposes them in due time.
You neglect the other half of “applying pressure”. There is the stick, but there is always the carrot.
When some of us are “badmouthing” Black Bart, it is because there is little doubt that he grabbed a little something/something for himself in this endeavor. Thus, despite the rassa, we consider him an atheist because he chose to ignore what may be his Fate in perpetuity. Thus this was an unforced error by a dumb moulari.
Ironically, he already reversed himself when he recognized the Schismatics that he had previously agreed to being Schismatics with his own signature in 1992 and 1997…
Also let’s not forget that Zelensky got rid of all the journalists with a brain and doesn’t support free elections.
After he will no longer be in power even those that are currently brainwashed by the this dictator’s narrative will wake up and see the truth… except for the few that will never admit they were wrong because pride will prevent them
Alpha ..you have it right ! However, if a state actor , like the US pressured or implied harm on Bartholomew ..the Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church and world, it would expose the Biden and Trump Administration leaders of the US congress , State Department , leaders of the Democratic and Republican House and Senate of America as a “Religious/ Political Criminal enterprise” extorting, coersing, Blackmailing, Intimidating not only Bartholomew , but Mistotakis, , the Greek Government.. to support the persecution, State Sponsoring of terrorism , murder, torture arrest and war crimes! Many Orthodox faithfull , now believe that the Zelensky Dinner was set up by God ..to become the lighting rod for God to begin prosecuting Bartholomew , Trump and the U.S political parties and Congress of America, for uning Religion as a tool of war , which has brought mass chaos in the world that only an Anti-Christ can do! God is not exorcising just Bartholomew and the Archdiocese from all Christian Churches but the entire government of America. . Period! Who else could breach the Twisted minds of 2.7 billion Christians by the Media and political heads of America to mobilize now ..against the Churches and governments of the world! And who is going blind now !
So If true .. what would you think of the leaders and parliament of Governments ..who use “Religion”to wage war on the world ? And what would you do?
A very interesting report about the creation of the OCU was just published, and it may even contradict the narrative that the EP was pressured by the U.S. government.
According to the report, Metropolitan Emmanuel was ready to ditch the whole project the night before of the Unification Council, even buying a plane ticket to leave Kiev that night. The problem was Filaret Denysenko’s unwillingness to agree to the EP’s demands. It was the Ukrainian government, specifically President Poroshenko, that stepped in and coerced Denysenko to sign the papers to step down.
From the report, it sounds like the pressure was mostly coming from the Ukrainian government:
https://spzh.eu/en/news/96145-we-were-about-to-leave-but-were-detained-phanar-bishop-on-ocu-creation
You should look at the hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians that rallied from the airport on the highway to greed Barto to ask him not to sign. He didn’t bother to stop to talk to them. He went on about his business with Poroshenko. You can believe whatever you want Joseph. But I saw pictures from inside Ukraine. Do you know how 200000-300000 people crowds look like? And Barto did not stop to greed them or talk to at least one of them! If you seek the truth you will find it!
Nikos Kazantzakis, and his father Michalis avoided to meddle and mix, in Crete with the CHRONIC CORRUPTION of going to church to pray to the Known/ Unknown God, as other laity, because of the Orthodox Church Fathers and lack of institutional control by the bureaucrats, as you all have well-articulated on the merits of the fractured Christian Orthodox Byzantine World. They went to church later, after the parishioners had all gone home, to connect with their spiritual divinity to be free from the stench by toxicity due to ultimate control by
Archbishops etc. it may be similar today, like the ones that are empowered by the Turkish Sphere of Influence!