Athens, January 17, 2019
Photo: wp.com His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios of Albania met in Athens today, discussing the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, reports vimaorthodoxias.gr.
No details on their discussion have been released yet. Leaving the diocesan center in Athens, Abp. Anastasios commented only that he had come to wish Abp. Ieronymos a happy new year.
At the recently session of the Holy Synod of the Greek Orthodox Church, the hierarchs read and discussed the letter from Patriarch Bartholomew requesting that they recognize the results of the “unification council” that created the so-called “Orthodox Church of Ukraine” on December 15, the letter of “Metropolitan” Epiphany Dumenko announcing his election as the new primate, and the letter of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow entreating the hierarchs not to recognize the new Ukrainian structure.
The Holy Synod did not take a decision but rather referred the issue on to the broader Bishops’ Council, because, as vimaorthodoxias.gr writes, “it was considered that for such a serious matter, the supreme governing body of the Church of Greece should first be informed.”
While the Holy Synod of the Albanian Church has not made any statements on the Ukrainian crisis, Abp. Anastasios wrote two letters to Pat. Kirill on the matter, expressing his great concern about Pat. Bartholomew’s actions in Ukraine, but also his strong disagreement with the Russian Church’s decision to break communion with Constantinople.
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