DISINFO: The Greek church recognised Ukrainian autocephaly under pressure
SUMMARY
Constantinople, as you know, threatened to take control over some of the dioceses from the Church of Greece if the latter does not recognise the schismatic Orthodox Church of Ukraine. It is also well-known, and Greek sources confirm, that the US Embassy in Athens also exerted unprecedented pressure on the Archbishop of Athens.
RESPONSE
A conspiracy theory presented without any supporting evidence and recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The process of recognition was initiated by the Orthodox Church of Greece on 8 January 2019, when the Permanent Synod of the Church of Greece decided that the issue of recognition would be dealt with by the Synod of the Hierarchy of the Church of Greece. In February, the Synod of the Church decided to appoint two commissions to study the issue. In August, the commissions presented a report and recommended to recognise the autocephaly of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. On 12 October, the primate of the church Ieronymos II of Athens and other leaders supported the conclusions and voted for the recognition, stating that “the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople has the right to grant autocephaly”. See similar case alleging that the US pressurised the Greek church on this matter here.