Monday, April 13, 2026

1986: ROCOR reaffirms the Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece as the canonical Church of the Greek nation

Greek source: Ἡ Φωνὴ τῆς Ὀρθοδοξίας (“The Voice of Orthodoxy”), Issue 811, January-February 1987, p. 18.

 

 

RECONCILIATION

The Holy Synod of the Russian Church Outside of Russia, being in communion with our Church in Greece, in order to restore order in accordance with the Holy Canons of the Church, has communicated to us the following documents, which we are publishing for information and compliance in the interest of our struggling Church.

 

16/29 December 1986

Reverend Lazarus Hatzigiannakis
c/o Dr. Alexandre Kalomoiros
38 Themistoklis Sofouli
Thessaloniki, Greece.

Dear Father Lazarus,

The Holy Synod of Bishops, at its recent meeting in Montreal, Canada, on November 25-27, 1986, deliberated concerning your ordination to the rank of priest by His Eminence Metropolitan (Archbishop) Vitaly, so that you might serve the Monastery [of the Annunciation of the Theotokos] in Oinousses and the community [of the parish of St. John the Theologian] in Thessaloniki. The Bishops consider it inappropriate and uncanonical for a cleric ordained by us to commemorate the Archbishop [i.e., Metropolitan] of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia while residing in the territory of another local autocephalous Orthodox Church.

Taking this into consideration, therefore, we recommend that you ask to be received by the leadership of the true Church of Greece, which is under the guidance of Archbishop Chrysostomos [Kiousis].

+ Hilarion
Bishop of Manhattan
Deputy Secretary of the Holy Synod

***

Honorable Reverend
Hieromonk Theodoretos (Mavros)
Holy Monastery of the Holy Theodores
Paros, Greece.

Dear Father Theodoretos,

Our Holy Synod has been informed that you no longer reside on the Holy Mountain of Athos, for which you were ordained by His Eminence Metropolitan (Archbishop) Vitaly, but instead reside on Paros.

We consider it inappropriate and uncanonical for a cleric ordained by us to commemorate the Archbishop [i.e., Metropolitan] of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia while residing in the territory of another local autocephalous Orthodox Church.

Therefore, taking into account the change in your residence, we recommend that you request to be received under the leadership of the true Orthodox Church of Greece, which is under the guidance of Archbishop Chrysostomos [Kiousis].

+ Hilarion
Bishop of Manhattan
Deputy Secretary of the Holy Synod

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1986: ROCOR reaffirms the Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece as the canonical Church of the Greek nation

Greek source: Ἡ Φωνὴ τῆς Ὀρθοδοξίας (“The Voice of Orthodoxy”), Issue 811, January-February 1987, p. 18.     RECONCILIATION The H...