Met. Johan not to be included in meeting

Metropolitan Jonah interviewed by Russian news outlet
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This is a solid and frank interview.

The autocephaly of the OCA is still not recognized by all of world Orthodoxy. Could you remind us which Local Churches recognize it, and which do not? How do you see the prospect of dealing with this sensitive issue? Do you plan to visit the Patriarch of Constantinople?

MET> JONAH

Yes, I plan to visit the Ecumenical Patriarchate. But my position remains unchanged: they (the hierarchs of the Church of Constantinople) can not make decisions concerning the OCA, without our participation.It is the Ecumenical Patriarchate which remains the main opponent of our autocephaly. Local Churches under the direct influence of Constantinople - Alexandria, Jerusalem, Greece, Cyprus - also do not recognize our status.Our autocephaly is fully recognized by the Russian, Bulgarian, Polish and Czech Churches. We have very good relations with the Antiochian, Serbian Patriarchates, which do not officially recognize the autocephaly of the OCA.The issue of recognizing the OCA’s autocephaly is part of a broader issue: how to create a unified Orthodox Church in North America. I do not think that this problem could be solved by uniting the various national jurisdictions which exist in America to the OCA. But the OCA may serve as an example for solving this problem in North America. There is need for a Synod of Bishops to represent the various ethnic groups, a synod which would consider the Church’s mission first as a local church, acting on “its territory”, accepting all Orthodox - regardless of their ethnic roots...