OCU cleric accuses colleague of seeking to be “first among equals” in Poland

"Hieromonk" of the OCU Arseniy Revtov. Photo: Revtov's Facebook

A public dispute has erupted between OCU clerics in Poland Arseniy Revtov and Serhiy Sirenko, with the two accusing each other of pride and vying over who holds greater authority.

Serhiy Sirenko criticized Revtov, bringing up his past in the UOC: “You can squeeze yourself out of the Moscow Church, but sometimes you can't squeeze the Moscow Church out of yourself.” Sirenko also claimed that the Polish Orthodox Church “is friendly with the Moscow Patriarchate and complains” to the Ecumenical Patriarch about the OCU.

In response, Revtov published an open letter to Sirenko, accusing him of attempting to monopolize authority in Poland.

“I have put up with this for a long time, reading your comments about me under other people’s posts, and I have also seen your pride and your desire to be first among equals among OCU priests in Poland, despite having no grounds for it,” Revtov wrote.

He was particularly offended by the reference to his past in the “Moscow Patriarchate.” According to Revtov, such internal feuding undermines all the OCU leadership’s statements about “overcoming the schism” and uniting Orthodox Christians.

Revtov concluded his letter by demanding a public apology from Sirenko, warning that otherwise he was prepared to go to court to defend his honor and dignity.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that Arseniy Revtov had publicly expressed dissatisfaction that clergy of the Polish Orthodox Church refer to OCU representatives as “schismatics and impostors,” prompting the OCU “hieromonk” to declare that Ukrainians have no need for the Polish Orthodox Church.

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