Metropolitan of Kythira turns to Greek Primate with an appeal
Metropolitan Seraphim urged His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos not to break off the Eucharistic communion with the Russian Church for the sake of legalizing the OCU.
Metropolitan Seraphim of Kythira and Antikythera of the Greek Orthodox Church addressed His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos with an appeal not to recognize the OCU as a Church and Epiphany Dumenko as a primate. The full text of the appeal of Metropolitan Seraphim was published by the Greek edition Romfea referring to the site of the Metropolis of Kythira.
In particular, Metropolitan Seraphim reminded the Primate of the Greek Church that schisms, disagreements and discords are common means of struggle against the canons of the Church.
His Eminence is confident that His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos "understands that after the Council of Bishops on October 12, the situation turned out to be extremely dangerous."
In his opinion, the convocation of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Patriarchate on October 17 points to those fears (breaking the Eucharistic communion – Ed.) which were voiced by some hierarchs of the Church of Greece earlier.
The hierarch says that the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church paid special attention to "the enormous problem of church communion with those not ordained, not corrected (through repentance – Ed.) and non-canonical schismatics."
According to Metropolitan Seraphim, the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church carefully “studied the relevant texts of our last Synod and the prerogatives of our Church of Hellas, as well as the communiqué of the Council of Bishops” and only then decided to stop the Eucharistic communion with those who recognize the 'new primate' (Epiphany Dumenko – Ed.). This is a clear and unambiguous decision,” said the metropolitan.
Metropolitan Seraphim also reminded the Primate of the Church of Greece that during the Council of Bishops “you repeatedly addressed the participants with the words: ‘Let's not make decisions until the ancient Patriarchates and Local Churches do it’.”
In addition, the Metropolitan of Kythira reminded His Beatitude Ieronymos that during the four consecrations of the new bishops, which took place immediately after the Council of Bishops, the GOC Primate did not mention the name of Epiphany Dumenko, “In all four ordinations of the Holy Metropolitans and Bishops of our Church, you didn’t commemorate Epiphany who has no canonical ordination and canonical election as primate.”
His Eminence writes that he is afraid of the threat of a split “after yesterday’s communiqué of the Russian Church” which is why he turns to the Archbishop of the Church of Greece: “We are consoled in our hearts feeling the unity of the Most Holy Orthodox Catholic Church.”
Vladyka emphasizes that "the Moscow Patriarchate, Patriarch Kirill and His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry bear in mind the eternal and irresistible spiritual bonds of Byzantium and Rome with our Local Church."
At the same time, Metropolitan Seraphim says, "They know that in the Greek Church there are lots of bishops, clergy, monks and Orthodox Christians who reject the Ukrainian ‘church’ doctrine."
Earlier, the UOJ wrote that in the opinion of Metropolitan Seraphim of Piraeus, the OCU does not exist canonically, while Epiphany Dumenko is a layman.
