US Ambassador to Greece concerned about "efforts to reverse Tomos for OCU"
US Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt. Photo: politeka.net
US Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt said that Russia is trying to reverse the Tomos for the OCU, reports the official website of the embassy.
“ the United States remains concerned that Moscow continues to try to foment instability and undermine the sovereignty of independent Orthodox-majority nations, including its efforts to reverse the Ecumenical Patriarch’s historic grant of Tomos to the Church of Ukraine,” Payette said.
According to the Ambassador, the situation in Ukraine is one of the major aspects of the relationship between the Patriarch of Constantinople and the United States.
“In October, the Ecumenical Patriarch also visited the United States for the first time in about a decade, where he met President Biden and Secretary of State Blinken, among many other American leaders. The White House noted in its official readout from that visit that President Biden emphasized the importance of religious freedom as a fundamental human right, as well as his personal and decades-long friendship with the Patriarch. And given the importance of developments in Ukraine, it is no surprise that those issues also figured prominently in the Ecumenical Patriarch’s conversations in Washington,” the American diplomat said.
Geoffrey Pyatt also expressed his opinion on the creation of the Patriarchal Exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in Africa, confirming the ties between this event and the creation of the OCU.
“Most recently, on December 29, the Russian Orthodox Church announced the creation of its own patriarchal exarchate in Africa. Having severed ties with Alexandria and All Africa for supporting the autocephaly of the Church of Ukraine, the Russian authorities are currently pushing about 100 Orthodox clergy in Africa to join their exarchate and sign a pledge that says ‘we are not doing this in pursuit of financial gain’."
As reported, the head of the GOC spoke about cooperation with the US Ambassador on the issue of recognizing the OCU.
Read also
Met. Varsonofiy сelebrates Liturgy at persecuted UOC parish in Stryzhavka
A UOC hierarch officiated the Nativity service and offered prayers for peace in Ukraine.
Seized Dormition Cathedral in Volodymyr transferred from UOC to OCU control
Huz stated that after being handed to the OCU, the Dormition Cathedral in Volodymyr will be “Ukrainian and alive”.
In Brussels, Cardinal Parolin urges Europe to remember its Christian roots
The Vatican Secretary of State spoke at the Cathedral of Saints Michael and Gudula on the occasion of its eight-hundredth anniversary and recalled Europe’s spiritual mission.
388 mln Christians face persecution and discrimination over faith – report
The organization Portes Ouvertes has published research findings concluding that pressure on believers worldwide has intensified.
Archbishop of Albania: Orthodoxy is a key pillar of Albania’s European path
During a visit to Brussels, the Primate of the Albanian Orthodox Church underscored the importance of Orthodoxy for the country’s integration into the EU and for maintaining interreligious balance in society.
His Beatitude leads divine service at Lavra on Circumcision of the Lord feast
During the festive service at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, special prayers were offered for peace on the Ukrainian land and for God’s blessing upon the new year.