Primate of Cyprus Church: The problem of Ukraine needs a conciliar solution

Archbishop Chrysostomos II of Cyprus with editor-in-chief of the Greek news agency Romfea.gr Emilios Polygenis. Photo: Romfea.gr

The religious problem in Ukraine should be solved by all Local Churches together, rather than by each Church unilaterally, shared the Primate of the Cyprus Orthodox Church, Archbishop Chrysostomos II of Cyprus, with editor-in-chief of the Greek Romfea.gr news agency Emilios Polygenis.

“A one-sided solution would not be beneficial. And the result would be what I have been afraid of. I might have also decided in favor of one or the other, but I find it wrong. That is why we did not do such a thing,” the Primate of the Church of Cyprus said in an interview with the online publication Romfea. News.

He called his visits to the Primates of the Greek, Serbian and Bulgarian Churches successful.

The Archpastor of the Cyprus Church considers it fair that none of the Local Orthodox Churches took a position either in favor of the Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew or in favor of the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus. Otherwise, "we will definitely have a split, with mathematical precision," explained Archbishop Chrysostomos.

“The Church is one and we must all help to elevate it. We should cherish Orthodoxy as the apple of our eye,” he concluded.

Recall that on May 17, 2019, in Belgrade, the Primate of the Cyprus Orthodox Church met with Patriarch Irinej of Serbia, and on May 20, 2019, Archbishop Chrysostomos II also met with the Primate of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Neophytos.

On May 21, 2019, the Primate of the Cyprus Orthodox Church, Archbishop Chrysostomos II, discussed the “Ukrainian church issue” with the Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church, Archbishop Ieronymos II.

Next, the Primate of the Cyprus Church plans to meet with the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus and offer him a plan for solving the “Ukrainian church issue”.

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