Pat Theodore presented Athenagoras Award for defending Fanar’s prerogatives

Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria received the 2022 Athenagoras Human Rights Award Prize in the field of human rights, awarded by the Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, Archons of Phanar of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, reports the Archons' website.

The award will be presented on October 8, 2022 at the Athenagoras Human Rights Award Annual Banquet at the New York Hilton Hotel in New York.

The archons declare they honored Theodore for protecting the prerogatives of Phanar and love for His All-Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew. Anthony J. Limberakis, National Commander of the Order, stated, "His Beatitude Patriarch Theodore has a profound understanding of the canonical position of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the Church, and immense respect and love for His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew himself. Accordingly, at tremendous cost and amid considerable risk, His Beatitude has stood consistently with His All-Holiness in defense of the traditional ecclesiastical and canonical prerogatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate."

The archons also announced that Patriarch Theodore "has stood courageously against the uncanonical ecclesiastical imperialism of the Moscow Patriarchate."

"In an encyclical issued on May 9, 2022, Patriarch Theodore denounced the “anti-canonical, unfraternal, ahistorical and vengeful attempt of the Russian Church in Africa to invade the canonical jurisdiction of the ancient Patriarchate of Alexandria, following the recognition by His Beatitude the Primate, Pope and Patriarch His Beatitude Theodore II of the Autocephaly canonically granted to the local Church of Ukraine by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, by means of financial enticement of the native priests," the publication added.

As previously reported by the UOJ, Epifaniy was presented with an award in the USA for his advocacy for freedom of religion.

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