Conference on the OCU issue underway in Greece

Theological conference in Greece. Photo: UOJ

A theological conference dedicated to the Ukrainian church issue and its geopolitical implications is currently taking place in Piraeus, Greece, reports a UOJ correspondent. The conference is being livestreamed on the YouTube channel of the Greek-language UOJ editorial office.

The event is organized by the Union of Theologians "Methexis" with the support of the Metropolis of Piraeus and is timed to the sixth anniversary of the granting of the Tomos of autocephaly to the OCU.

The conference features leading Greek theologians and canon law experts. Among the speakers is Metropolitan Seraphim of Piraeus, who presented a report titled "An Ecclesiological and Canonical View of Ukrainian Autocephaly."

Particular attention is being paid to the canonical aspects of the OCU’s creation. Dr. Vassilios Tsoutsoumetzis, professor at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, gave a presentation entitled "The Ecclesiastical Evaluation of Non-Ordination According to the 7th Ecumenical Council and the Ukrainian Crisis."

The conference also explores the geopolitical dimensions of the Ukrainian church issue. Professor Georgios Filis presented an analysis of the transformation of the international order in the context of the Ukrainian conflict, while Professor Ioannis Mazis addressed the geopolitical significance of the Black Sea region.

The program includes two sessions of presentations and discussions, allowing participants to comprehensively examine various aspects of the Ukrainian church crisis – from canonical concerns to global consequences.

During the conference, Protopresbyter Ioannis Diotis called on all local Orthodox Churches to initiate an appeal to the Ecumenical Patriarch, urging him to acknowledge the error of recognizing the OCU.

The proceedings of the conference are expected to be published and will contribute to the broader theological discourse on the canonical legitimacy of the OCU and its recognition in the Orthodox world.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that a theologian of the Church of Greece had called on local Churches to defend the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC).

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