Greek priest and theologian writes an open letter to head of Greek Church

Protopresbyter John Diotis (left). Photo: patrokosmas.gr

Protopresbyter John Diotis, a well-known Greek priest, theologian, publicist, and head of the center of the Patristic publication in Athens, has addressed an open letter to Abp. Ieronymos, the Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church. The full text of the letter is published on the Greek website Orthodoxostypos.

In his letter, Fr. John notes that the Bishops’ decisions from October 12 are publicly known, but the “canonical, ecclesiastical, and historical criteria for this decision remain unknown”. Thus, he calls on Abp. Ieronymos to publish the documents on the basis of which the two commissions that the Greek Holy Synod created to study the Ukrainian issue made their conclusions regarding the schismatic OCU.

Fr. John notes that he has studied the Ukrainian issue in depth and stated his position in several articles. In preparing a book on the activities of Patriarch Bartholomew, it became necessary to obtain all the documents concerning the Ukrainian crisis. “If there are no reviews and analyses of the requested arguments, as well as the opinions of other Patriarchs about pseudo-restored, anathematized and self-ordained Ukrainian schismatics”, the book will be incomplete.

Fr. John also asks what basis Constantinople had for intervening in the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate and for restoring schismatics who were anathematized and ordained by anathematized people. He also believes that all Local Churches should receive a detailed report on the restoration process. “The Patriarch is obliged to publish such a process,” he writes.

He also states that the hierarchs of the Bishops’ Council did not see receive the relevant documents before discussing the Ukrainian issue, because “only the two Church Synodal committees were given the opportunity to study the issue, which they did irresponsibly and formally”.

Fr. John hopes that Abp. Ieronymos will appeal to Patriarch Bartholomew to publish the relevant documents since the Patriarch would likely simply ignore any such request from the priest.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that the Greek theologian accused the head of the Greek Church of betraying and expanding the schism.

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