Greek Archbishop rejects invite by Patriarch of Jerusalem

Greek Archbishop Ieronymos informed the Holy Synod on Friday that he has refused an invitation from Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem to attend a meeting of Orthodox leaders.

According to a statement issued by the Holy Synod, Ieronymos refused the invite because the calling of such meetings of Orthodox leaders is the sole privilege of the ecumenical patriarch based in Istanbul.

The initiative was also rejected last week by Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomaios as “non-canonical.”

In his call for the meeting Theophilos said it was to preserve the unity of the Orthodox Church. However, Vartholomaios said the invitation should only be sent to the patriarch of Moscow.

Vartholomaios’ decision last year to grant independence from Moscow to the Ukrainian Church has been vehemently challenged by the Russian patriarch, causing a rift within the Orthodox Church.