Greek hierarch: there's canonical chaos in ranks of Ukrainian schismatics

Metropolitan Seraphim of Kythera and Antikythera of the Greek Orthodox Church. Photo: pravoslavie.ru

Metropolitan Seraphim of Kythera and Antikythera of the Greek Orthodox Church declared that a canonical disorder reigns amongst Ukrainian dissenters, the Greek publication Romfea reports citing the website of the Metropolis of Kythera.

In particular, commenting on the August meeting of the Holy Synod of the Greek Church, Metropolitan Seraphim said that 5 representatives of “Old Greece” – the oldest members of the Permanent Holy Synod – objected to the synodal decision on the “Ukrainian issue”.

The reason for their cautious position on this issue is dictated by fears "regarding an unlimited right of the Ecumenical Patriarch to grant autocephaly throughout the Orthodox world and to consider appeals from all Orthodox bishops."

In addition, according to Metropolitan Seraphim, the hierarchs were duly informed "about the complete canonical chaos in the ranks of the two reinstated Ukrainian breakaway groups – anathematized, deposed, self-ordained and not ordained."

Therefore, in his opinion, from the point of view of some Greek synodals, “in view of the special nature and problems as well as the above factors for granting Ukrainian autocephaly, the approach to this extremely acute topic should be more careful and balanced from the canonical and ecclesiological point of view.”

At the same time, Metropolitan Seraphim said that “His Beatitude Ieronymos, on the one hand, respecting the right of the Ecumenical Patriarch to grant autocephaly to the Local Church, and on the other, being seriously concerned about a cautious and negative position of the Local Autocephalous Churches regarding Ukrainian autocephaly, having been duly and accordingly informed about the confusion and complete disorder in the ranks of schismatic structures in terms of the canonical order, priesthood and ordinations, during the entire synodal period was preoccupied, thoughtful and deeply worried about the large-scale problem of Ukrainian autocephaly having been granted under such conditions and its ravages for the unity of the Orthodox Autocephalous Churches.”

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that, according to Metropolitan Seraphim of Kythera, there are terrible aberrations from the Tradition of the Church in the Tomos for the OCU.

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