Greece's Holy Synod recognizes autonomy of Church of Ukraine

16:32, 12.10.2019

The Holy Synod of the Church of Greece has recognized the autonomy of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, in line with a request by the Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomaios, Kathimerini learned on Saturday.

Following the decision by the synod, which is comprised of Greece’s 80 bishops, Greece’s Archbishop Ieronymos will henceforth mention his Ukrainian counterpart Epifanios during religious services along with other regional Orthodox leaders and he will be regarded as a member of the Orthodox Church’s family.

The move came after Ieronymos decided to extend a session of the Holy Synod that began on Tuesday so that bishops could discuss the patriarch’s request for the granting of autonomy to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

It was Ieronmyos himself who broached the matter during Saturday’s session of the synod – a rare occurrence which points to the archbishop’s intention to underline the Greek Church’s support for the patriarch’s request.

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