LAST UPDATE: 14:49
On the morning of Saturday, October 24, Archbishop Chrysostomos of Cyprus commemorated for the first time the name of Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv and all Ukraine, thus recognizing the autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine, during the Divine Liturgy for the ordination of the new Bishop of Arsinoe, Pagkratios, at the Monastery of Panagia Chrysorroiatissa in Paphos.
Archbishop Chrysostomos of Cyprus stated that his decision served the Orthodoxy and the Church of Cyprus. It may be against certain people, he said, but what interests the Archbishop himself is Orthodoxy.
He said today, “I commemorated the new Primate of Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Epifaniy. Since last year, we have notified the Ecumenical Patriarch that we would maintain a neutral position and dedicate ourselves to serving Orthodoxy through the primates of various autocephalous Churches.”
I had to take a position, he continued speaking to reporters, although the Holy Synod disagreed with him, while acknowledging that the members of the Holy Synod were not aware of his current decision to commemorate Metropolitan Epfaniy of Kyiv. One said that a member of the Holy Synod left at the end of the service, stating that, if he were him, he would leave as soon as he heard the Archbishop himself, commemorating Metropolitan Epifaniy.
He also said that he admired his patience in waiting for so long. The Archbishop of Cyprus stated that his move served first the Orthodoxy and then the Church of Cyprus. He estimated that all the predecessors, including Kirill, admitted that he was right.
In a post on Twitter, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine thanked the Church of Cyprus for the recognition saying “the Church of Cyprus, one of the oldest local churches, was recognized as autocephalous at the Third Ecumenical Council, 10th in the Diptych, joined the Tomos recognition of the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and became the fourth Church to recognize the Local OCU.”
The Church of Cyprus, one of the oldest local churches, was recognized as autocephalous at the Third Ecumenical Council, 10th in the Diptych, joined the Tomos recognition of the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and became the fourth Church to recognize the Local OCU. pic.twitter.com/fCt2dLYfHz
— Православна Церква України (@OrthodoxUkraine) October 24, 2020
It is noted that the Church of Cyprus became the third church to recognize the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, after the Church of Greece and the Ecumenical Patriarchate which commemorated Metropolitan Epifaniy during the celebration of the Divine Liturgy by Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Thessaloniki on October 19, 2019.
A few days later, Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria commemorated Metropolitan Epifaniy, thus recognizing the new Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
“From here in Cairo, the capital of Egypt, I would like to refer to a great event for our Church. The Patriarchate of Alexandria, the second in rank, after much prayer and consideration, in the presence of the Holy Hierarchs, in the presence of His Excellency Ambassador of Greece, I would like to officially announce that our Patriarchate included today the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine and His Beatitude Metropolitan Epifaniy.”
