“The non-canonical assembly of persons, partly having, and for the most part - not having a legitimate episcopal consecration under the general guidance of a layman and the head of state, as well as a visiting person who does not understand anything in the local language, elected the non-canonical" bishop "as an uncanonical" primate " quotes the words of Balashov Interfax.
He noted that for the Russian Orthodox Church this election "means absolutely nothing."
He also expressed bewilderment due to the presence at the “unifying council” in Kiev of two bishops of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, stating that “they do not understand what they were hoping for.”
Earlier, the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko announced the creation of "Ukrainian Autocephalous Church". According to him, the head of the church elected Metropolitan of the UOC-KP Epiphanius Dumenko.