1686 წლის „გაცემის დოკუმენტი“ და მასთან დაკავშირებული საპატრიარქო ეპისტოლეები

ანოტაცია

It should be noted that certain principles of the 1686 document have persistently not been upheld by the Patriarchate of Moscow.
Undoubtedly, the Patriarchate of Moscow has been exercising its right of ordination (cheirotonia) since 1686 as it kept performing
ordinations of metropolitans, however it has not been adhering to the following two important principles – one concerning the
commemoration of the patriarch of Constantinople by the metropolitan of Kyiv, and the other concerning the appointment of
the metropolitan. Specifically, according to this document, the Patriarchate of Moscow had no right of appointing the candidate for metropolitan. Instead, the right of choosing the candidate for metropolitan was reserved for the local clergy and the faithful public of the metropolis of Kyiv. The last metropolitan who was lawfully chosen by the local clergy and the faithful of the metropolis of Kyiv was Joasaph, deceased in 1718. Therefore, we can conclude that the Patriarchate of Moscow illegally annexed the metropolis of Kyiv in the 1720s. In relation to the above, an important event took place in March 2019 when the official document confirming the annexation of the metropolis of Kyiv by the Patriarchate of Moscow was returned to Ukraine from Germany. The aforementioned document was issued by Peter I, tsar of Russia and it constitutes an important official source based on which the following can be deduced: 1. The Patriarchate of Moscow has annexed the metropolis of Kyiv.
2. The annexation happened in the 1720s. The question then arises as to why this breach of law was neglected by the Patriarchate of Constantinople. As it is widely known, since the fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans in 1453, the Orthodox Church of Constantinople had to continue existing and serving its mission in a profoundly hostile environment. The 18th and 19th centuries were particularly difficult periods for the Patriarchate of Constantinople as it is also evidenced by the martyrdom of Patriarch Gregorius V (1746-1821) who was martyred by the Ottomans. During this period, even the physical existence of the Patriarchate itself came under threat. The Church of Russia was therefore able to take advantage of the weak position of the Patriarchate of Constantinople at that time and annexed the metropolis of Kyiv