GOC bishop proposes to deprive Russian Church of autocephaly for five years

On February 6, 2022, Metropolitan Gregory of Peristeri of the Greek Orthodox Church proposed to deprive the Russian Orthodox Church of autocephaly for a period of five years, according to the Greek publication Dogma.

According to the Hellenic hierarch, the Russian Church should be deprived of autocephaly for five years and immediately convene a Pan-Orthodox Synod to resolve the “Russian schism” that arose due to the creation of the Exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in Africa.

Metropolitan Gregory considers it iinconsistent for the Russian Orthodox Church to speak out against the Patriarchate of Alexandria, since Phanar gave autocephaly to the OCU, and it was necessary to oppose him in the first place.

He is sure that what the Russian Church did in Africa, “will be done in the territory of the Patriarchate of Constantinople and then the Church of Greece. We just have to wait for them to come."

In his opinion, autocephaly was granted to Moscow in 1589 with two conditions – to conduct activities within the boundaries of its territory and have communion with other Churches. According to the hierarch, Moscow fails to meet these two conditions, and the head of Phanar should deprive the ROC of autocephaly for five years and defrock Metropolitan Leonid, but not ordinary priests.

“This problem needs to be solved. I made an offer and said that it was necessary to revoke, to invalidate the autocephaly of the Russian Orthodox Church for five years. This means that at the same time the bishops of the Russian Church will enter the Synod of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Then they will not be able to make such decisions as they did in December (on the creation of an exarchate),” said Metropolitan Gregory.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that the Church of Greece fears the "expansion" of the Russian Orthodox Church in Greece and Turkey.

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