Church of Greece fears "expansion" of Russian Church in Greece and Turkey
The Greek bishop believes that the creation of structures of the Russian Church in Africa, Greece and Turkey was planned for 30 years.
Metropolitan Gregory of Peristeria of the Greek Orthodox Church said that the Russian Orthodox Church is preparing to create its structures in Greece and Turkey, Orthodoxia.info reports.
According to him, "the problem with the Russian Church goes far beyond the invasion of the canonical territory of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, since, as everything indicates, this step (the creation of the Exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in Africa – Ed.) is only the beginning."
He believes that "the actions of the Russian Church repeat what happened in the previous millennium on the part of Rome, which caused a deep split in the ranks of the Christian world."
“What they are doing in Africa, they will do in the territory of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Church of Greece. We can expect this from day to day,” assures Metropolitan Gregory.
The hierarch also thinks that the "Ukrainian issue" is an excuse, rather than the reason, and "all these actions were planned in Moscow for three decades."
Earlier, the UOJ wrote that, according to Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev), by creating the Exarchate in Africa, the Russian Church did not invade the canonical territory of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, but responded to the requests of the African clergy.