A corresponding statement appeared on the website of the so-called "Moscow Patriarchate":.

The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church expresses its strong protest and deep outrage at the communique of the General Secretariat of the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, published on September 7, 2018, in which the two hierarchs of this Church, Archbishop Daniel of Pamphylia (USA) and Bishop Hilarion of Canada (Bishop of Edmonton) - "Exarchs" of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Kiev.

This decision was taken without agreement with the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Kirill, and Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine, Onufriy, and is a gross violation of the church canons that forbid the bishops of one Local Church to interfere in the internal life and affairs of another Local Church (2nd Rule of the Second Ecumenical Council, 20 rule of the Trullo Council, the 13th Rule of the Council of Antioch, the 3rd, 11th and 12th Rules of the Council of Sardicia). It completely contradicts the unchanged position of the Patriarchate of Constantinople and personally Patriarch Bartholomew who has repeatedly stated that he recognizes His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry as the only canonical head of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine.

The decision of the Patriarchate of Constantinople to accept the issue of granting autocephaly to "Orthodox believers of Ukraine" was taken against the will of the bishop of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, who unanimously supported the preservation of its existing status.

In justification of his interference in the affairs of another Local Church, the Patriarch of Constantinople leads false interpretations of historical facts and refers to allegedly his exclusive powers that he does not possess and have never possessed.

These actions lead to a stalemate between the Russian and the Constantinople Churches, creating a real threat to the unity of the entire world Orthodoxy.

The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church declares that all responsibility for these anticanonical acts falls personally on Patriarch Bartholomew and those persons in the Constantinople Church who support them.

The response of the Moscow Patriarchate will follow very soon.