The “tour” of Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk and President of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate in Cyprus continues, meeting Hierarchs of the Church of Cyprus who have made clear their sympathy for the Moscow Patriarchate and Patriarch Kirill.
After the inauguration of the Russian church in Limassol and the concelebration of the Divine Liturgy on the Sunday of the Myrrhbearers with Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol, the Metropolitan of Volokolamsk went on May 20 to Nicosia and to the Metochion of the Holy Monastery of Kykkos, where he met with Metropolitan Nikiphoros of Kykkos and Tilliria, for whom he expressed particularly flattering words.
As is now customary, the meeting was reported on the website of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate.
According to the announcement of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, the two Metropolitans discussed “the current challenges facing global Orthodoxy in our days and the possible response to them on the part of the Church.”
Also, the Metropolitan of Volokolamsk “thanked his interlocutor for his unchanging solid and principled position in favor of the sacred norms of the Church, noting that thanks to his courage, Metropolitan Nikiphoros of Kykkos and Tilliria is known and respected not only in Cyprus but also in other Orthodox countries”.
The Metropolitan of Kykkos “asked that his respect and love be conveyed to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and Pope of Russia”.
These compliments are not surprising for those who have been following the ecclesiastical events of even the last few years.
Like Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol, the Metropolitan of Kykkos had spoken out in harsh terms against both the late Archbishop of Cyprus Chrysostomos II for recognizing the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and against the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
On the same day, Anthony of Volokolamsk met with Metropolitan Neophytos of Morphos in Nicosia. In his discussions with the Russian Hierarch – and always according to the TEES’ website – Neophytos “spoke in favor of the persecuted Ukrainian Orthodox Church, condemning the persecution against the hierarchy, the clergy and the ordinary faithful”.
The Metropolitan of Morphou has often been in the public eye, mostly for the “wrong” reasons. We recall his controversial views on coronavirus vaccination, the letter sent by the Church of Greece to the Synod of the Church of Cyprus for the stances of the Metropolitan of Morphou, while his pro-Russian views on the Ukrainian issue are well known.
A big question mark on this visit is whether the Metropolitan of Volokolamsk will also meet with the Primate of the Church of Cyprus, Archbishop George, or will he be satisfied with the “intra-family” meetings with the hierarchs of the Church of Cyprus who have spoken out against the decision of the Holy Synod of the Church of Cyprus to recognize the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
Efi Efthimiou
