Greece, June 21, 2021
A collection of signatures has been launched in defense of His Eminence Metropolitan Neophytos of Morphou of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus “and other persecuted Orthodox bishops and priests.”
The appeal comes in response to the recent letter from the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Greece to the Synod of the Church of Cyprus calling for Met. Neophytos to be silenced concerning his opposition to COVID quarantine restrictions and the vaccine.
The text of the appeal also mentions Metropolitans Seraphim of Kythira, Kosmas of Aetolia, and Nektarios of Corfu, who have also spoken about vaccines and the Greek Church’s decision to celebrate Pascha several hours early to comply with the state curfew.
At its session on May 11, the Greek Synod decided to launch an investigation into Mets. Seraphim and Kosmas for their criticism of the Synod’s decision. And last year, Met. Nektarios was put on civil trial for serving and communing the faithful during the quarantine. He was, however, acquitted of all charges.
The Church of Greece’s appeal “forces us to offer an immediate response and sound the alarm of support for them,” the appeal reads.
In the view of the authors and signatories (more than 8,000 as of publication of this article), Met. Neophytos is a “modern fighter for Orthodoxy.”
Just as St. Maximus the Confessor once stood alone against Monothelitism, so Met. Neophytos is one of few who bravely stand against various sects, the heresy of ecumenism, and the excesses of “corona-ism,” the appeal states.
It also compares Met. Neophytos to St. Mark of Ephesus, who refused to submit to the heretical false Union of Florence.
In conclusion, the authors of the appeal
call on Greeks everywhere to stand up for the Bishop of Morphou and the other bishops and priests, who have begun to be persecuted for refusing to cooperate with an opposing state, which wants to lead the Orthodox faith and Church to novel actions and deeds. In other words, it wants to make the Orthodox Church complicit in its own abominable decrees against the democracy and the Constitution, committing a crime against the Greek people by consenting to a global crime against humanity.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Vkontakte, Telegram, WhatsApp, MeWe, and Gab!
