Media: Head of Phanar will not give autocephaly to Macedonian schismatics
The Metropolitan of the Church of Greece visited Phanar to convey concerns of the GOC over the issue of granting autocephaly to the Macedonian schismatics.
On October 2, 2020, Metropolitan Gabriel (Papanikolaou) of Neoionia and Philadelphia discussed with the head of Phanar the issue of granting autocephaly status to the schismatic “Macedonian Orthodox Church”, according to the Greek edition Romfea.
The Romfea agency, referring to its own sources, reported that Met. Gabriel arrived at Phanar at the request of the Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Jerome, and “conveyed concerns of the Hellenic Church to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew” on the issue of autocephaly for North Macedonia.
In addition, according to Romfea, during the meeting, Patriarch Bartholomew made it clear that he has no intention of "granting autocephaly to the so-called ‘Macedonian’ church" and promised to keep the Church of Greece updated on all the steps taken by Phanar on this issue.
Earlier, the UOJ wrote that according to the hierarch of the Greek Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Theoklitos (Passalis) of Florina, the GOC does not recognize the autocephaly of the so-called “Macedonian Church”.
