An extraordinary session of the Church of Greece’s permanent Holy Synod has been called for Saturday in order to discuss the contentious issue of the Tomos of Autocephaly for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
An invitation was extended by the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, His Beatitude Ieronymos, towards Church hierarchs who are members of the Holy Synod.
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople last November extended the Tomos of Autocephaly to the Ukrainian Church, sparking intense reactions by the Moscow Patriarchate and deliberations by other Orthodox Churches around the world.
According to reports, Archbishop Ieronymos will submit his recommendation on the issue to the Holy Synod, with Church hierarchs then expected table their observations.
A previous Holy Synod composition of members last August recognized the Ecumenical Patriarch’s canonical right to grant autocephaly, as well as the privilege of the Primate of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Greece, i.e. His Beatitude Ieronymos, to handle the issue of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s autocephaly, as far as the Church of Greece is concerned.