“WE STRONGLY SUPPORT YOUR BEATITUDE”: TWO YEARS AGO, ORTHODOX CHURCH OF ALEXANDRIA RECOGNIZED OCU

             

Фото: ПЦУ

On November 8, on the day of the Cathedral of Archangel Michael, Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa Theodore II during a Divine Liturgy in the Church of the Archangels (El-Zaher, Daher, Cairo, Egypt) commemorated Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine Epifaniy as Primate of the autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

The Church of Alexandria stands second in the Orthodox diptych after the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria said that, if his heart was torn open, Ukraine would be there, and his decision to recognize the OCU came following many prayers and reflections.

In the first statement of Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria after the recognition of the autocephaly of the Ukrainian Church, he noted that the recognition by the Church of Alexandria closed the topic of Ukrainian autocephaly.

If we take into account the words of Patriarch Theodore, we will understand that he said this because after the Ecumenical Patriarch (if the latter falls into heresy), only Alexandria Patriarch has the canonical right to convene an All-Orthodox Council and resolve heresy, but because the Patriarch of Alexandria also shares Constantinople’s position, the issue is deemed ultimately resolved.

He also expressed strong support for the head of the OCU, Metropolitan Epifaniy, as the two met on the island of Imbros on August 13, 2021. “As the second and apostolic throne, we have followed the decision of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the first among the primates, and we strongly support Your Beatitude as primate, wishing you every success,” said Patriarch Theodore. In response, Metropolitan Epifaniy invited him to visit the Ukrainian Church.

After the decision was passed, the ROC launched an attack on the Church of Alexandria on multiple fronts, seeking to sow a split in it by opening a branch of the Moscow Patriarchate on its territory, thus violating the canons as regards a parallel hierarchy. But despite years of intimidation, the attempt failed.

Thus, the Patriarchate of Alexandria became the third autocephalous church to join the Churches that have recognized the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. Prior to that, on October 12, 2019, the OCU was recognized by the Hellenic Orthodox Church.

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