After the announcement of Metropolitan Theoktistos of Fokida, the Holy Metropolis of Fokida made clear that it wanted to avoid any divisions and religious fanaticism. The announcement concerned the Russian clergy and laypeople, who are no longer welcome by the Holy Metropolis of Fokida because they do not recognise the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, to which Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew granted autocephaly.
As it is stated in the communiqué, the announcement of the Metropolitan of Fthiotida was a way to express his exasperation about what is written about the Ecumenical Patriarch, which considers unfair and unjust. So, he answered to all those who harshly criticised him. It is also made clear that the Metropolitan of Fokida would not sever full communion with the Russian Church. However, he was expecting from those who severed full communion to cancel their decision; “By no means the announcement of the Metropolitan was canonical. We will not sever full communion. However, we expect from those who did to cancel their decision.”
In the communiqué, it is highlighted that the Metropolis of Fthiotida fully associated itself with the stance of Archbishop Ieronymos and that the insults to the Ecumenical Patriarch were also insults to the Church of Greece. In particular, the Metropolitan of Fthiotida said, “Is there any Hierarch of the Church of Greece who agrees with the insults to the Ecumenical Patriarch? In any case, this is also an insult to the Church of Greece.”
