LAST UPDATE: 16:38
After the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, who first commemorated with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew the name of the new Metropolitan of Kyiv, follows Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria who commemorated Metropolitan Epifaniy, thus recognizing the new Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
The commemoration took place during the Patriarchal Divine Liturgy in Cairo at the Temple of the Archangels in Dahir, where Egypt’s largest Arabic-speaking Orthodox community lives.
“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.”
“I have served for so many years in the Church, and I know that from today, with the mercy of God, the solution to this great issue for our Church will be in sight. Unity, love, hope, will come,” the Patriarch of Alexandria pointed out, concluding that “through our struggles, our efforts, we will see Christ be in our midst.”
Afterwards, the Exarch of the Patriarchate of Alexandria in Athens, Metropolitan Georgios of Guinea, read the official announcement signed by the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Alexandria, Theodore II.
The Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa had recently been in the spotlight, with stifling pressure being exerted on the part of the Russian Church.
Patriarch Theodore had a wait-and-see attitude avoiding taking a public position on the issue. However, both he and the people close to him had made it clear from the first moment that at the appropriate time the Patriarchate of Alexandria would make a move corresponding to its position and history, making clear, implicitly but necessarily, that the Patriarchate of Alexandria did not intend to succumb to the pressures.
Finally, as it turned out today, the Patriarch of Alexandria proceeded with this bold move which, based on what the Russian Church has done so far at the expense of Constantinople and Athens, will place him in the firing line of Russian retaliation.
Official announcement of Patriarchate of Alexandria
“In the past month, we took note of the willingness of the Holy brethren Hierarchs to recognise the Autocephaly Tomos granted by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch to the Autocephalous Church of Ukraine.
As is well known, our Holy Catholic Orthodox Church is governed under the synodical system, as inherited by the tradition and the Holy Ecumenical Councils. To this end, the presidents of the local church councils are the synthesis of its members.
Consequently, we, as a constituent and effective principle of the willingness of the Holy brethren Hierarchs, commemorated and included in the diptychs of the Catholic Orthodox Church, the Primate of Autocephalous Church of Ukraine, His Beatitude Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv and All Ukraine, while wholeheartedly praying for peace and stability of our Orthodox Churches”.
