Cypriot hierarchs respond to accusations of violating neutrality on OCU

Metropolitans Athanasios, Nikephoros and Isaiah. Photo: Romfea

Metropolitans of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus, Athanasios of Limassol, Nikephoros of Kykkos and Isaiah of Tamassos responded to the accusations of the Primate of the Church of Cyprus, Metropolitan Chrysostomos of their violating "neutrality" regarding the OCU. This is reported by the "Politis" publication.

According to the hierarchs, the position of "neutrality" that the Church of Cyprus has taken regarding the "Ukrainian issue" does not involve termination of Eucharistic communion or any other church relations "either with the Ecumenical Patriarchate or with the Russian Orthodox Church."

The hierarchs write that the “neutrality” referred to by the Primate of the Church of Cyprus “has to do with the problem that arose because of the decision to grant autocephaly to the Church of Ukraine contrary to the sacred rules and the existing ecclesiastic order.”

In particular, they note that Epiphany Dumenko was ordained non-canonically and that the Church in Ukraine is subordinate to the Moscow Patriarchate.

At the same time, the Metropolitans also responded to the “reproaches” of their Primate for holding a conference on monasticism together with the Synodal Department of the Moscow Patriarchate.

They emphasized that His Beatitude Chrysostomos, criticizing their position, did not mention the concelebration of Metropolitan Basil (Karayannis) of Constantinou with the representative of the OCU, Eustraty Zoria, which took place on November 30, 2019.

In light of this fact, the Metropolitans ask the Primate, “Is there any blessing for this? Yes or no? Is this a violation of the decision of the Holy Synod of the Church of Cyprus on "neutrality" on this issue?”

In addition, they emphasized that the monastic conference, organized by the three metropolises of the Church of Cyprus with the participation of representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate, which was held on November 28 and 29, 2019, was planned as a continuation of a similar conference in 2018. Therefore, the hierarchs say, "we wonder how it relates to the decision of the Holy Synod about our neutrality in terms of the Ukrainian crisis?"

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that the head of the Church of Cyprus condemned the position of Patriarch Kirill and accused Metropolitans Athanasios of Limassol, Nikephoros of Kykkos and Isaiah of Tamassos of violating their neutrality in the issue of the OCU.

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