GOC hierarch: Tomos of OCU is the source of many evils and a gaping ulcer

Metropolitan Seraphim of Kythira. Photo: tideon.org

Metropolitan Seraphim of Kythira of the Orthodox Church of Greece said that the non-canonical "autocephaly" granted by the Patriarchate of Constantinople to the OCU is the "source of evil and a gaping ulcer," reports Rentapostagma edition.

The Metropolitan of Kythira believes that the commemoration of the name of Epiphany Dumenko by Archbishop Chrysostomos of Cyprus resulted in "the division of the Synodal body of the Autocephalous Church of Cyprus."

In addition, according to him, "a year ago, the liturgical mention of the name of ‘Metropolitan Epifanios’ as the head of the autocephalous church of Ukraine by Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece caused controversy and discontent in the Church of Greece, as it happened outside the canonical vote and the official decision of the Council of hierarchs of Greece."

“A gaping and pus-oozing ulcer of non-canonical and anti-church autocephaly in Ukraine remains the source of so many evils! One evil begets another thousand evils,” emphasized Metropolitan Seraphim.

He also noted that “unfortunately, this deep wound will not heal until Patriarch Bartholomew and all the Beatitude Primates of the Local Autocephalous Orthodox Churches gather for a Pan-Orthodox Council to address in the Holy Spirit this essential ecclesiastic inter-Orthodox problem that needs to be immediately resolved”.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that according to Metropolitan Seraphim, the United States is putting pressure on Local Churches to recognize the OCU.

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