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On Saturday, October 19, the name of
Metropolitan Epifaniy was mentioned for the first time during the Great
entrance at the Liturgy in Thessaloniki, where Ecumenical Patriarch
Bartholomew, Archbishop Hieronymos of Athens and all of Greece
celebrated together.
The adding of the name of Primate
Epifaniy in the diptych by the Greek Church means that the Greek Church
has officially entered into canonical communion with the OCU, reports orthodoxia.info.
In his speech, Patriarch Bartholomew
thanked Archbishop Hieronymos for having included the name of
Metropolitan Epifaniy in the diptych and said that the Primate of the
OCU would visit Thessaloniki.
After the recognition of the Orthodox
Church by the Greek Church, the clergy of both Churches can serve during
Liturgies, hold meetings and visit the churches of both churches.
As reported, at an extraordinary meeting on October 12, the Council of the Greek Orthodox Church recognized the autocephaly of the OCU.
The decision was made under the chairmanship of the head of the Council
and the Primate of the Church of Greece, His Beatitude Archbishop
Hieronymos. We can say that this is a historic decision for the Orthodox
Church of Ukraine. One of the largest Orthodox Churches in the world
has confirmed the legitimacy of granting autocephaly to the OCU.
The decision of the Council to recognize
the autocephaly of the OCU was particularly important. because the ROC
and the UOC-MP had exerted a great pressure. The Synod of the ROC
held on October 17 decided not to remember the Head of the Church of
Greece, Archbishop Hieronymus, in the case of communion and his mention
at the Liturgies of the Primate of the OCU, Metropolitan Epifaniy.
In total, there are 15 local Orthodox
Churches in the world and their primates are commemorated in a clear
sequence - the Diptych.
