An extraordinary meeting of the leadership of the Church of Greece decided on October 12 to recognize the autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), making it the first of the Eastern Orthodox churches to take such a step.
The Orthodox Times said the Greeks' formal recognition will take place on October 19 in Thessaloniki, with Archbishop Ieronymos and the OCU's Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv and All Ukraine present.
The Church of Greece's so-called Hierarchy's majority vote was reportedly opposed by seven metropolitans.
The Patriarchate of Constantinople, generally considered the spiritual headquarters for Orthodoxy, granted the Orthodox Church of Ukraine independence in January in a move that was adamantly resisted by Moscow and the Russian Orthodox Church.
The new Orthodox Church of Ukraine installed its first metropolitan, Epifaniy, at a ceremony in Kyiv on February 3 in a process that further established the new church body's independence.
But recognition has not followed from other Orthodox churches -- until now.
Supporters hope the Greek move could give impetus to other Orthodox churches that have been balking at such a step.
For years there were three main rival Orthodox churches in Ukraine, the Moscow Patriarchate being the largest among them.
Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula and the ongoing five-year war between Ukrainian government forces and Russia-backed separatists exacerbated tensions over that rivalry, with Ukraine's then-president, Petro Poroshenko, making independence for the Ukrainian national church a priority last year.
The Russian Orthodox Church has since cut off relations with the Constantinople Patriarchate since it delivered the so-called tomos of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
In A First, Greek Church Recognizes Orthodox Church Of Ukraine
Related
Editors' Picks
Top Trending
1
U.S. Bradleys Hold The Line In Ukraine As Washington Debates Future Aid
2Thousands Of Supporters And Opponents Of Far-Right Figure Tommy Robinson Protest In London
3Panama Plans To Leave China's Belt And Road After Rubio's Canal Visit
4Trump Able To End Ukraine War In 'Months, Not Years,' Aide Keith Kellogg Says
5Trump's USAID Reform Causes Alarm As Musk Weighs In On Foreign Aid
6U.S. Call For Elections In Ukraine: A Step Toward Peace Or A Gift To Putin?
7Ukraine Needs U.S. Weapons. Trump Wants Its Rare Earth Minerals In Return.
8Moscow Blast Kills Mercenary Leader Fighting Ukraine -- Who's Behind It?
9Ukraine Rejects U.S. Peace Push As Putin Refuses To Talk To Zelenskyy
10Kyrgyzstan Bans Islamic Niqab As Critics Warn It Could Alienate Some Women
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.
