UOC thanks Greek clergy for the letter in support of the Church

The UOC thanked the Greek clergy for the letter in support of the Church. Photo: Romfea

On September 16, 2019, Archpriest Nikolai Danilevich, deputy head of the Department for External Church Relations of the UOC, published an address to the Greek clergy and laity, written in response to the open letter from the clergy of the Church of Greece to Archbishop Ieronymos on the “Ukrainian issue”, reports Romfea.

Below is the full text of the address.

“With great joy, we learned about the support from the clerics, Greek clergy and believers who turned to the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece with an open letter on the “Ukrainian church issue”. As previously reported, more than 1,000 signatures have already been collected!

As the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, we express our satisfaction and gratitude to the Orthodox brothers of Greece. This letter is truly a “voice from the depths” of the Greek Church, a voice of the real church consciousness, which was raised by the common clergy and laity in addition to the concern expressed by many Greek hierarchs.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, I would like to emphasize that the “Ukrainian church issue” should not be viewed through the prism of national primacy or nationalist motives. It means this is not about a confrontation between the Greeks and Russians, or Ukrainians and Russians vs Greeks, or vice versa.

This is a purely church and ecclesiological issue! Therefore, all Orthodox Christians who respect the traditions and structure of our Church are spiritually united, in witness whereof this letter was written.

It is also noteworthy that the Ukrainian social networks, which published the news about this letter, bristle with messages from our Ukrainian believers who write, "Thank you very much, dear Greek brothers!"

We as the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church representing 12,000 of our parishes and millions of our believers, express our gratitude from the depths of our hearts and sincerely appreciate this support.

At such moments, we feel that we are truly the Church, the Body of Christ in which, according to the Apostle Paul, ‘there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all’ (Col. 3:11).”

Recall that on September 11, 2019, representatives of the clergy, monkhood and laity of the Greek Orthodox Church published an open letter on the “Ukrainian issue” to Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and hierarchs of Greece urging them not to recognize the OCU solely, contrary to the position of other Churches. The letter collected 1000 signatures.

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