Cypriot hierarch: Unlawful actions in Ukraine is a threat to Orthodoxy

Metropolitan Nikephoros (Kikkotis) of Kykkos and Tillyria of Orthodox Church of Cyprus

Metropolitan Nikephoros (Kikkotis) of Kykkos and Tillyria believes that the anti-canonical actions of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Ukraine threaten Ecumenical Orthodoxy. This is reported by the Greek site Romfea.

The Hierarch of the Church of Cyprus sent congratulations to His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry on the occasion of his Name Day.

“We wish you many good years from the depths of our hearts so that you continue to serve with universal love and brotherly affection for the good of the flock living in the friendly and all-Orthodox Ukrainian land, which these days endure tough tests because of external illegal actions that violate the eternal canonical tradition of our Orthodox Church,” writes the hierarch of the Cyprus Church.

The Metropolitan of Kykkos emphasizes that these actions "have a painful impact not only on the unity of the Local Church of Ukraine, but also produce a devastating schism in it, endangering the whole body of Ecumenical Orthodoxy to the greatest satisfaction of its enemies."

Speaking about the Ukrainian problem, His Eminence Nikephoros recalls that autocephaly "should have been bestowed in accordance with our holy canons and our centuries-old Orthodox Church tradition, rather than in accordance with unilateral and arbitrary acts, which are anti-canonical a priori and need canonical treatment as such". According to the bishop, canonical autocephaly should be granted "only by the Pan-Orthodox Ecumenical Council or by the unanimous consent of all Primates of Orthodox Autocephalous Churches".

Congratulating the Primate of the UOC on the Name Day, His Eminence noted that “the all-good and gracious Lord, dear and noble Brother, distinguished you among many brothers as an epitome of the virtues of today’s glorified Holy Father Onuphrius of Egypt and entrusted to your honest and powerful hands a steering wheel of the vessel of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in distress.”

In conclusion, the Cypriot hierarch emphasizes: “For we constantly pray that the Creator of our Orthodox Church, the Redeemer and Savior Christ will keep Your Holiness in great physical and mental health so that you can continue to lead His blessed flock being entrusted to you with a gracious heart, filled with divine love.”

As the UOJ reported, earlier Metropolitan Nikephoros stated that the granting of autocephaly to the OCU had poisoned inter-Orthodox relations and threatened with a schism.

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