Famous Greek theologian: Phanar causes a new dreadful injury to the Church

Theodore (Zisis), Professor Emeritus of the Theological Faculty of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

According to the honorary professor of the Theological Faculty of Aristotole Thessalonian University, Father Theodore (Zisis), instead of healing the old-age schism that has existed in the territory of the Constantinople and Hellas Churches since the calendar reform of 1924, the Patriarchate of Constantinople provokes a new schism, reports Vesti (News).

“A grave injury, a deep wound on the body of the Church — a great calendar schism — remains unhealed for nearly a century,” the Greek theologian quotes the publication. “But, unfortunately, instead of healing the injuries and wounds that the calendar reform of 1924 has inflicted and continues to inflict, instead of restoring the unity of the church calendar at the pan-Orthodox level and returning to unity and peace at the local level, having eliminated the split between old and new ritualists, now the Church of Constantinople is provoking a new split in Ukraine with bold, anti-canonical, one-sided, anti-conciliar and arbitrary granting of autocephaly to two schismatic Orthodox denominations, which the canonical Orthodox Church in Ukraine did not ask or wish for."

According to the Protopresbyter, now, as in 1924, Constantinople arbitrarily, without a pan-Orthodox approval and with the apparent disagreement of the majority of Local Churches, makes unilateral decisions that threaten the emergence of conflicts and turmoil of "bishops against patriarchs and metropolitans, clerics and monks against bishops and abbots.”

“Pious laypeople, in their turn, will fall into despair, suffer adversities and doubt their salvation like in those times,” says confidently Father Theodore. “After all, a new “parallel” church, with the assistance of the state power, will claim its rights to churches, monasteries and shrines of the canonical Orthodox Church: everybody affirms there will be conflicts between the owners and the claiming, which will result in bloodshed.”

As the UOJ reported, Father Theodore earlier ceased the Eucharistic communion with the Greek Orthodox Church because of the rejection of the decisions of the Cretan Council.

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