The Synod of the Hierarchy of the Church of Greece has recognised the autocephaly,or independence,of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.After discussing the matter on Saturday morning,in light of the fact that His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens and All Greece formally recommended the course of recognition,and that several study groups of the Standing Synod also found it to be a canonical act,the assembled bishops approved of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew's granting of independence to the new Church.*
Several bishops complained about Russian pressure on them to reject the autocephaly.In the end,however,they stood by the Ecumenical Patriarchate and became the first of the 14 autocephalous Orthodox Churches to do so,thus paving the way for others to follow suit.*
The recognition will be spiritually enacted in the form of a Divine Liturgy in Thessaloniki,Greece on 19 October 2019,concelebrated by Archbishop Ieronymos and His Beatitude Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kiyiv and All Ukraine.*
In a telephone call,Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew thanked Archbishop Ieronymos for his support.*
The Church of Greece also recognised the independence of the nation of Ukraine in the extraordinary session of the Synod of the Hierarchy.
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