Epiphany Dumenko hopes the Church of Greece will recognize OCU

Epiphany Dumenko receives the Patriarch Athenagoras Award. New York, 10/19/2019. Photo: www.pomisna.info

On October 19, 2019, during the dinner at the Hilton Hotel in New York on the occasion of Athenagoras Human Rights Award, Epiphany Dumenko expressed the hope that the Hellenic Orthodox Church would recognize the OCU, RIA Novosti reported.

In particular, the agency’s interlocutor said that “Epiphany was careful. He did not say that the Church of Greece recognized him. He said that "'we hope the Church of Greece will finalize its decision'. Elpidophoros said the same thing."

In addition, a source at RIA Novosti reported that this year at the Athenagoras Award Ceremony, “there were much fewer people than expected. The last row of tables was empty; the guests were scarce at many tables. The reception was attended by half as many people as invited. The organizers invited 1,500 people but about 680 people came. Among the attendees there was a consul general of Ukraine in New York, the ambassador of Ukraine, and several Ukrainian entrepreneurs.”

According to him, at the reception “there were not many officials, affluent people. Just a few famous people came compared to the last year, when Fr. Alexander Karloutsos was awarded. There were no empty seats in the hall then and additional tables had to be set.”

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that Epiphany Dumenko was presented the Patriarch Athenagoras Award for upholding and defending the ecclesiastic and canonical prerogatives of Phanar.

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