Greek hierarch: Commemoration of the OCU head led to serious upheavals

Metropolitan Nektarios (Dovas) of Kerkyra and Paxoi. Photo:church.by

The commemoration of the “Primate” of the OCU Epiphany Dumenko by Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece in Thessaloniki led to serious upheavals in the Greek Orthodox Church, said Metropolitan Nektarios (Dovas) of Kerkyra and Paxoi in an interview with the Greek online edition “Enimerosi”.

He also recalled that the first unrest in the Greek Church began after the Crete Council in 2016, which not all hierarchs agreed with.

“Yesterday (Sunday) there were very serious upheavals in the Orthodox Church of Greece following the commemoration of the Metropolitan of the Church of Ukraine in the co-operation of the Ecumenical Patriarch and our Archbishop, held in Thessalonica. And do not forget that our Church has also received "shocks" in 2016 because of the Great Council of Crete, and then not all of them agreed….," Met. Nektarios said.

According to the bishop, the disagreement of 10 metropolitans of the Church of Greece with the recognition of the OCU is a very important parameter.

“There were rumors and reactions that such a serious decision had to be taken by vote, but the Archbishop did not take them into consideration and proceeded to recognize the Autocephalous Church of Ukraine (the OCU – Ed.). That there is such a current within our Church is something that cannot go unnoticed,” emphasized the Greek hierarch.

In his opinion, “Corfu could be found in the "eye of the cyclone" of this conflict between the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Patriarchate of Moscow”.

"I believe that the Church of Greece should play a mediating role in the conflict between the Patriarchates of Constantinople and Moscow. This was also emphasized in my letter to the Holy Synod. I have been informed that everyone wants to have a dialogue, except for the Ecumenical Patriarch,” said Metropolitan Nektarios (Dovas) of Kerkyra and Paxoi.

The bishop of the Church of Greece also assumed that the Patriarch of Constantinople had put pressure on Archbishop Ieronymos to recognize the OCU.

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