Church of Greece recognizes EP's Ukrainian Church

(Orthodox Times) - The Ecumenical Patriarch welcomed the decision of the Hierarchy of the Church of Greece to recognise the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

“We thank the Sister Church, the Church of Greece, and we are grateful to the President of the Holy Synod, Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and of all Greece, who took the initiative and brought this to a good conclusion,” the Ecumenical Patriarch said today during the Patriarchal Divine Liturgy at the Phanar.

The Ecumenical Patriarch said that it was a historic decision “that recognises and reaffirms the exclusive right of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to grant autocephaly, if necessary, and, thus, taking into consideration this right, the Church of Greece has recognised the autocephaly granted by the Ecumenical Patriarchate to the Church of Ukraine.”

The Ecumenical Patriarch trusted that “Finally, the church issue in Ukraine will be the starting point to strengthen the unity between the Orthodox Sister Churches.”

The Ecumenical Patriarch referred to today’s ordination of Metropolitan Ieronymos of Kalavryta and Aigialeia at the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Annunciation in Athens. He also referred to the two newly elected Metropolitans of Fthiotida and of Lemnos, and to the two new Auxiliary Bishops. He conveyed the congratulations and the best wishes of the Hierarchy of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece.