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Despite the official announcement of the Synod of the Orthodox Church
of Greece on August 28 regarding the resolution of the Ukrainian issue,
the official resources of the UOC-Moscow Patriarchate spread distorted
information about this event, citing the non-Church media and even a
theologian, who is in a split with the Greek Church. It was reported by
“Religion in Ukraine".
As already reported, on August 28, a press release of the Synod of
the Orthodox Church of Greece was made public. Following the August
meeting, the Synod recognized the right of the Ecumenical Patriarch to
grant autocephaly to the Ukrainian Church, as well as the right of the
Primate of the Greek Church to pursue the issue of recognition of this
Church.
Among the decisions of the Synod, the press release cites the
conclusion on the Ukrainian question: "Following the explanations of the
Synodal committees on dogmatic and canonical issues and inter-Orthodox
and inter-Christian relations on the Ukrainian question, the permanent
Synod of the Church of Greece recognizes the right of the Ecumenical
Patriarch to provide autocephaly, as well as the privilege of the
Primate of the Church of Greece to further resolve issues of recognition
of the Church of Ukraine." It follows that in fact the Synod of the
Greek Church recognized the autocephaly of the Ukrainian Church (since
it agreed with the right of Constantinople to provide it – the Ukrainian
issue was considered at the meeting) and soon the Primate of the Church
of Greece will announce a further, perhaps, final decision on this
matter. It is not reported what kind of decision the Primate of the
Church of Greece will announce in the context of the Synodal approval.
The official media of the Russian Orthodox Church – Рatriarchia.ru and Mospat.ru – ignored the decision of the Greek Synod.
Simultaneously, official resources of the UOC (MP) spread false
information about the Synodal decision of the Church of Greece, citing
the Greek non-church media Romfea, which, according to Telegram channel
Tserkvach, maintains close informal contacts with the Moscow
Patriarchate and often covers religious events in a favorable light for
her.
On August 28, Romfea published the news "Archbishop Jerome: "I can't
take on the responsibility"" that reported the Ukrainian issue was
discussed at the meeting, "the discussion took place in a calm
atmosphere, where all members of the Synod expressed their opinion",
although, according to Romfea, the members of the Synod "made their
irritation no secret because the Ukrainian question came to the end of
the work without prior information and was not included in the agenda."
According to the results of the discussion, the Primate of the Church,
Archbishop Jerome, as Romfea notes, "allegedly / presumably" said at the
Synod the following: "I can not take on such a responsibility, I will
transfer it to the hierarchy." Also, an anonymous Bishop said to Romfea
that "in other cases the entire hierarchy was not required to recognize
the autocephaly just as it was the case with the other autocephalous
churches in the Balkans. Here we have a special case of dissenters
without ordination who were also excommunicated." Now, according to the
"exclusive information" by Romfea , Archbishop Jerome "will propose to
discuss the Ukrainian question after the Metropolitan elections in
October".
At the same time, Romfea does not refer to the above-mentioned
official message of the Synod. Since, according to Romfea, some Synod
members were dissatisfied with putting the Ukrainian question on the
agenda, it is obvious that it was made with the blessing of the Primate
of the Church of Greece.
On 29 August, a website of the UOC (MP) published their news, stating
that "Synod of the Greek Orthodox Church called the OCU banned
dissidents without valid ordination,” avoiding the formal notification
of the Greek Synod, and simultaneously referring to "Greek journalists",
which means "Romfea". At the same time, the website of the UOC (MP)
receives information selectively and without precision from Romfea
website, which makes the position of the Greek Synod even more similar
to the position of bishops of the UOC (MP). Archbishop Jerome has been
directly attributed the words which he "allegedly/presumably" said,
according to Romfea. However, to date, no official information is
available on how Archbishop Jerome "will continue to resolve the issue
of recognition of the Church of Ukraine".
The piece of the UOC Information Center on Facebook on August 28,
"Greek Orthodox Church postponed consideration of the recognition of the
autocephaly of the OCU" also contains a translation of the information
of the news agency Romfea. It also notes, "According to the media,
following the discussion the Holy Synod came to a conclusion that the
Council of Bishops will be dealing with the issue of recognition of the
OCU". However, Romfea didn't say anything of the kind, noting that to
define further course of events is"privilege of the Primate".
On August 29, the UOC Information Center published the news "UOC
explained the decision of Greek Synod on the OCU". It presents the
opinion of the Deputy Chairman of the Department of External Church
relations of the UOC MP, Archpriest Mykolai Danilevych and Metropolitan
Luka (Kovalenko) of Zaporizhia. Both representatives of the UOC (MP)
insist that the Greek Synod “did not declare anything about the
canonicity or non-canonicity of granting autocephaly to the OCU; the
Synod simply agreed with the right of Constantinople to do so.” Although
previously, the ROC, including the UOC (MP) denied the right of
Constantinople to do so, considering Ukraine its canonical territory.
However, later the representatives of the UOC (MP) interpret the
decision of the Greek Synod in the abstract manner, as a general right
of Constantinople, without reference to the Ukrainian Church, although
in the Synod's press release notes that we are referring to the
“Ukrainian question” and “the privilege of the Primate of the Church of
Greece to pursue with the settlement of the issue of the recognition of
the Church of Ukraine."
On the same day, August 29, the Information Center of the UOC in its
publication "Greek theologian Fr Theodore Zisis: those who recognize the
OCU will be outside the Church," listed among their allies and
authorities Fr Theodore Zisis, who in 2017 severed relations with the
Greek Church, seceding into schism; and the Orthodox Church back in 2011
withdrew his books out of print, because his position contradicts the
official position of the Russian Orthodox Church and compromise the
Supreme authority of the Constantinople and Greek Orthodox Churches."
Moreover, the opinion of Theodore Zisis was taken by the "UOC
Information Center" from the publication on the website of the
Publishing House "Holy Mountain" (Moscow), which the Publishing Board of
the ROC dissaociated themselves from for "unauthorized use by the
Publishing House of the Publishing Board's signature stamp," and the
publication of questionable books written by Zisis. In turn, the website
of "the Holy Mountain" reprinted publication of Zisis, which was used
by the "UOC Information Center", with the opposition conservative Greek
blog Аktines, where the article appeared on June 25, two months prior to
these Synodal events.
Such manipulations by the official media of the UOC (MP) create a
distorted view of the attitude of the Church of Greece to the events in
Ukraine. In the same manner, the official website of the UOC (MP) spread
disinformation three times in 2019 regarding the Athos attitude to the
OCU.
