Russian Orthodox Church Stops Eucharistic Communion With Greek Church Head - Official

Russian Orthodox Church Stops Eucharistic Communion With Greek Church Head - Official

The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) stops Eucharistic communion with Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens and All Greece due to the recognition of the schismatic Orthodox Church of Ukraine, but this decision does not apply to the whole Greek Church, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate department for external church relations (DECR), said on Saturday

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd November, 2019) The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) stops Eucharistic communion with Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens and All Greece due to the recognition of the schismatic Orthodox Church of Ukraine, but this decision does not apply to the whole Greek Church, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate department for external church relations (DECR), said on Saturday.

In late October, Archbishop Ieronymos II has officially acknowledged the autocephaly of the so-called Orthodox Church of Ukraine and sent a letter of congratulations to its self-styled primate Epiphanius.

"I think that next Sunday, when Patriarch [Kirill of Moscow and All Russia] will serve, there will be no this commemoration. This means that we stop the Eucharistic communion with the Archbishop of Athens, but this does not mean that we stop communion with the whole Greek Church , we will continue to maintain fellowship with all those bishops who do not recognize the Ukrainian schism, and there are such in the Greek Church," Metropolitan Hilarion said on air of the Rossiya 24 broadcaster.

He specified that communication ceases due to the recognition of the schismatic Orthodox Church of Ukraine by the head of the Greek Church.

"We already predicted our reaction in the decision of the second Synod meeting in October, during which we discussed this issue. And we said that if the Archbishop of Athens officially recognizes the Ukrainian schism, then his name will be deleted from the Russian Orthodox Church's bead-roll," the metropolitan said.

On January 6, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople handed over the tomos of autocephaly to the newly established Ukrainian church. The Russian Orthodox Church, along with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, refused to recognize it. The Moscow Patriarchate has described the situation as the "legalization of schism," stressing that it would have catastrophic consequences and affect millions of Christians in Ukraine and other countries.

On October 12, the Synod of the Hierarchy of the Church of Greece became the first Orthodox church to recognize Constantinople's decision to give the non-canonical Ukrainian church the tomos of autocephaly. Additionally, the Synod granted Archbishop Ieronymos II the right to make decisions regarding the issue of autocephaly, clearing the way for the Greek church to take the next step and officially recognize the Ukrainian church.

On October 17, the Synod of the ROC authorized Patriarch Kirill not to commemorate Archbishop Ieronymos II at divine services, if he recognizes the so-called Orthodox Church of Ukraine (PCU) and its head Epiphanius and includes him on his bead-roll. According to the Synod's statement, the ROC will maintain a prayer, canonical and Eucharistic communion with the Greek Orthodox Church "through all archbishops and priests who have already opposed or will continue to oppose the recognition of the Ukrainian schism, who will not stain themselves by serving with schismatic false hierarchs."

The Greek Orthodox Church is one of the ancient Christian churches: the first communities of believers in Achaia and Macedonia were founded by the Saint Paul the Apostle. The Greek Church received autocephaly from the Patriarchate of Constantinople in 1850, with Greece being its canonical territory. The Greek Church is one of the largest local Orthodox churches, comprising one archbishopric and 77 metropolises. According to the ROC, the Greek Church has 200 monasteries and about 8 million parishioners.