"A staunch defender of the OCU": Phanar characterizes Cypriote Primate

Phanar hierarch Archbishop Elpidophoros responded to the death of the Primate of the Cypriot Orthodox Church, Archbishop Chrysostomos. He posted his condolences on the death of Archbishop Chrysostomos on his Facebook page.

“A bold champion of Orthodox unity and a staunch defender of the Autocephalous Church of Ukraine, he also contributed to the reform of the Cypriot Church. Eternal memory to him,” wrote the head of the Phanar's American Archdiocese.

As the UOJ reported, in 2020, single-handedly, without agreement with the Synod of the Cypriot Church, Archbishop Chrysostomos began to commemorate Epifaniy Dumenko, thus recognizing the OCU, after which the ROC broke canonical communion with the head of the Cypriot Church and stopped commemorating him in the diptych.

Recall that Archbishop Chrysostomos of Cyprus died on November 6, 2022. In connection with his death, national mourning was declared in Cyprus. Patriarch Bartholomew is expected to officiate a funeral service for the deceased archbishop.

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