Greek hierarch: Ohrid Archdiocese will receive Tomos if it recognizes OCU

Meeting with Metropolitan Gregorios. Photo: Andrey Dudchenko

Cleric of the OCU, Andriy Dudchenko, reported that he had met with Professor of Canon Law, Metropolitan Gregorios Papathomas of the Church of Greece, and during the meeting, the discussion turned to the Macedonian Orthodox Church.

According to him, Metropolitan Gregorios said that Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew "will not grant autocephaly to the Church of Northern Macedonia until it enters into communion with the OCU. To request a Tomos from the Ecumenical Patriarchate, one must accept what this Patriarchate does, that is, recognize the autocephalies previously granted by it," he wrote.

Dudchenko drew an analogy that if the UOC wanted any assistance from the Phanar in resolving its canonical status, it would need to enter into communion with the OCU.

As reported by UOJ, two hierarchs of the Macedonian Orthodox Church refused to serve in the liturgy where Metropolitan Cyprian of Stara Zagora of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church participated, who had previously concelebrated with "hierarchs" of the OCU, Metropolitan Yevstratiy Zoria and Metropolitan Avraamy Lotysh.

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