Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria travelled to Cyprus, at the invitation of Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol to celebrate the 1400 years since the falling asleep of Saint Ioannis, just days after the historic decision of the Patriarchate of Alexandria to recognise the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
There are rumours in Cyprus that the Patriarch of Alexandria has been pressured by church officials not to commemorate Metropolitan Epiphaniy of Kyiv.
The Primate of the Patriarchate of Alexandria defended the decision made by the Patriarchate of Alexandria to recognise the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and to commemorate Metropolitan Epiphaniy of Kyiv. “This decision had to be made to help the other Churches and the Russian Orthodox Church to understand that a Church that wants autocephaly should receive it. They will see that there is no alternative,” the Patriarch of Alexandria said to CyBC.
Patriarch Theodore was optimistic that the Patriarchate of Moscow would not eventually cease commemorating his name. “The Patriarchate of Moscow will not go along with. Commemoration of other primates cannot be ceased, in particular when they are primates of one of the Ancient Patriarchates,” the Patriarch of Alexandria said to CyBC while expressing his concern over the threats from Moscow.
However, he dismissed any concerns that a schism would take place and was optimism that the other Churches would recognise the Orthodox Church of Ukraine by his intervention.
