In a statement, Metropolitan Dorotheos of Syros responded in a tough manner to the threats of Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk against the Church of Greece regarding the recognition of the autocephaly of the Church of Ukraine by the Hierarchy.
The Metropolitan of Volokolamsk is the chairman of the Department of the External Church Relations of the Patriarchate of Moscow. In recent statements, ahead of the meeting of the Hierarchy of the Church of Greece on the Ukrainian autocephaly issue, he had been threatening the Hierarchy with retribution if it recognised the autocephaly of the Church of Ukraine. The majority of the Hierarchy voted yesterday in favour of the recognition.
When Metropolitan Dorotheos of Syros was asked about this matter, to which he gave a clear and firm response: “The Church of Greece is neither manipulated, nor it takes instructions, nor is threatened.”