Bulletin:Church of Greece Moves Toward Recognition of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine

In a crucial first step,the Holy Standing Synod of the Church of Greece has recognised that Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew's granting of autocephaly,or independence,to the new Orthodox Church of Ukraine,was canonical.His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens and All Greece will now raise the issue for consideration by the full Holy Synod at its October session.*
The official statement of the Standing Synod reads as follows:
Following the proposal by the Synodic Committees on Dogmatic and Legislative Issues  and Inter-Orthodox and Inter-Christian Relations,the Holy Standing Synod recognises the Ecumenical Patriarch's canonical right to issue the status of autocephaly as well as the privilege of the Primate of the Church of Greece to further deal with the recognition of the Church of Ukraine. *
The Holy Standing Synod is a preparatory body for the full Holy Synod.*
In a related development,a leading theologian of the Church of Greece,His Eminence Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Messinia,has recently expressed his approval of the granting of autocephaly to the OCU.*