Head of Cyprus Church on recognition of OCU: Synodals would say no

Archbishop Chrysostomos. Photo: romfea

On November 1, 2020, Archbishop Chrysostomos, head of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus, said he had not notified the members of the Holy Synod that he was going to commemorate Epiphany Dumenko at the Divine Lliturgy, because they would say “no”, reports the Greek website Romfea.

Archbishop Chrysostomos said that after spinal surgery "I decided to write a letter to the Ecumenical Patriarch that I can no longer carry on my efforts to reconcile (Orthodox Churches – Ed.)."

“And since I was neutral on the Ukrainian issue in order to help, because of the coronavirus and because I was undergoing chemotherapy, I told him that I could no longer be active,” says the Archbishop.

The Primate of the Cypriot Church stated that “he considered it right not to notify them (the hierarchs of the Church of Cyprus about the decision to commemorate Dumenko – Ed.) so that they would not worry and run foul because if I did, they would say no."

“In this case I would respond to them ‘I will not listen to you’, which would only make the situation worse. I’d say that I would commemorate the head of the OCU, and they would object to that, so when they come to me to protest, I will tell them: ‘Brothers, since I was not going to listen to your opinion, I did not tell you anything. I am sorry, but this is my right and I did it’,” said Archbishop Chrysostomos.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that the Primate of Cyprus explained why he changed his stance on the OCU.

Read also