Greek bishop links Russian SVR claims against Patriarch Bartholomew to OCU
Metropolitan Iosif of Proikonissos. Photo: Orthodoxia News Agency
On April 2, 2026, Metropolitan Iosif of Proikonissos of the Church of Greece commented on statements by Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service alleging that Patriarch Bartholomew had interfered in the election of a new primate of the Georgian Church, Orthodoxia News Agency reports.
The hierarch sharply criticized the accusations, calling them “a convulsive and profoundly anti-church reaction.” According to him, such statements are “a huge lie,” since the Georgian Church is autocephalous and resolves its internal affairs independently.
The metropolitan also said that “hidden church forces” stand behind such rhetoric, and linked the matter to resistance against the recognition of the OCU.
He stressed that Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s visit to Tbilisi had no political character. According to him, the Patriarch came in order to honor His Beatitude Patriarch Ilia, whom he deeply respects and regards as a saint.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that the Georgian Patriarchate had called on the media not to discuss the election of a Patriarch.
Read also
Shell hits UOC church in Kherson, rector’s wife injured
As a result of shelling, a side chapel was destroyed and the church dome was damaged at the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in Kherson. There are also injured.
OCU accuses UOC-KP members of “crimes against canonical order”
The leadership of the OCU has asserted its exclusive right to the Kyiv Patriarchate brand and threatened punishment against Nikodym Kobzar and his associates.
Moldovan bishop tells UN of pressure on the Church
Speaking at the UN, Archbishop Markell said the authorities are putting pressure on the Orthodox Church of Moldova and threatening the seizure of churches.
UOC clergy deliver aid to frontline monasteries and parishes
Clergy of the Kyiv Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church delivered aid to frontline monasteries and parishes that provide daily support to refugees and the needy.
Vinnytsia region bans religious processions and pilgrimages until December
Vinnytsia’s Defense Council has imposed strict restrictions on believers ahead of the Easter holidays.
Nicaraguan authorities release 1,200 prisoners for Holy Week
In Nicaragua, more than a thousand inmates were released from prison during Holy Week and sent home under a “family cohabitation” regime, with an appeal to begin a “new life.”