Greek Theologian Calls for Review of OCU Tomos at Church Conference in Piraeus

PIRAEUS, Greece — A theological conference held in Piraeus on June 1 addressed the Ukrainian church crisis, with participants urging Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to reconsider the 2019 Tomos of Autocephaly granted to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU). 

Among the participants was Protopresbyter Ioannis Diotis, who called on all autocephalous Orthodox churches to submit formal appeals to the Ecumenical Patriarchate contesting the legitimacy of the OCU’s recognition.

Diotis, a respected theologian and recipient of the Order of the Holy Apostle Paul — the highest honor of the Church of Greece — is also known for leading the modern reissue of the Greek Patrology of Abbé Jacques Paul Migne, published between 1855 and 1866.

The conference, titled “The Theological Dimension of the Ukrainian Church Problem and Its Geopolitical Context,” gathered leading Greek theologians and canon law scholars. Among the speakers was Metropolitan Seraphim of Piraeus, who presented a paper titled “An Ecclesiological and Canonical Perspective on Ukrainian Autocephaly.”

Special attention was given to the canonical aspects of the OCU’s creation. Vasileios Toulountsis, a doctoral candidate in dogmatics and professor at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, delivered a lecture titled “Ecclesiastical Evaluation of Non-Ordination According to the Seventh Ecumenical Council and the Case of the Ukrainian Crisis.”

The conference also explored the geopolitical dimensions of the Ukrainian church issue. Professor Georgios Filis analyzed the transformation of the international system in light of developments in Ukraine, while Professor Ioannis Mazis discussed the geopolitical significance of the Black Sea region.

The event’s program included two sessions of presentations and discussions, allowing participants to thoroughly examine various aspects of the Ukrainian church crisis — from canonical concerns to international repercussions.

The proceedings of the conference are expected to be published and contribute to the ongoing theological debate on the canonical legitimacy of the OCU’s creation and its recognition in the Orthodox world.

The conference was streamed live on the YouTube channel of UOJ’s Greek branch. Organized by the Society of Theologians Methexis with the support of the Metropolis of Piraeus, the event marked the sixth anniversary of the granting of the Tomos of autocephaly to the OCU.

Previously, UOJ reported on an Ukrainian Member of Parliament stating that the Ukrainian authorities are not afraid of U.S. sanctions and are determined to pursue their course toward the elimination of the UOC to the very end.

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