Canonical Status
In accordance to the resolutions taken by the Holy Hierarchs of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia in their Bishops Synaxis that took place 28th-29th March 2022 led by our beloved Archbishop Makarios of Australia, our Parish of St Savvas of Kalymnos & our sister Ukrainian parish of St Basil the Great in Newcastle has now been admitted into the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia-Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Prior History
With the Decision & Decree of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople 11/10/18 starting from 'Patriarch' Philaret and Metropolitan Makary all Anathemas, Defrockments & Excommunications were uplifted and ALL clergy worldwide under them (former Kyiv Patriarchate & UAOC) were restored to canonical status & priestly ranks. The Ecumenical Patriarchate having the sole right to grant Autocephaly (Canons 9 and 17 of the Fourth Ecumenical Council) & with the right of appeal 'Ekklitos', all Clergyman & Faithful were healed and the new recognised canonical Orthodox Church of Ukraine was created.
On the 15/12/2018 the new head of the church Metropolitan Epiphanios of Pereyaslav (Kyiv Patriarchate) was elected by the united Sobor of bishops assembly.
On the 6th January 2019, Autocephaly and Tomos to the Orthodox Church of Ukrainian was officially handed to the Metropolitan of Kyiv and all Ukraine Epiphanios in Constantinople by the Ecumenical Patriarch.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE HOLY SYNOD OF THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE
October 11, 2018
Official Confirmation, our 'Patriarch' Philaret, our Churches, Clergy & flock have been officially accepted and now canonical! Tomos of Autocephaly will be given by the Ecumenical Patriarch! A historical day, a miracle and blessing! Our Petitions were heard and accepted! Excommunications, Anathemas & Defrockments have all been uplifted (see point 3), schism has been healed through Oikonomia. The new Autocephalous Ukrainian Church - through its all Ukrainian Clergy- Laity Council will formally elect its first Hierarch, then Tomos will be handed to them! Our Churches and its entire clergy are all now formally canonical!
https://www.ec-patr.org/docdisplay.php?lang=gr&id=2577&tla=gr
With the decision of the Ecumenical Patriarchate on the 11th October 2018, with the Election of our Spiritual Father & Metropolitan Epiphanios on the 15th December 2018 as the new First Hierarch of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, and with the granting of the Tomos of Autocephaly in Constantinople on January 6th 2019 to our Metropolitan Epiphanios, the process of canonical recognition was completed.
As such any priest (especially of the EP) or layman who says otherwise....is directly preaching against the Ecumenical Patriarchs decision to accept , restore, heal and recognise ALL Clerics & ALL the churches under the spiritual leaders Filaret & Makarius with the decree and decision of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Holy Synod 11/10/2018 and with the election of Metropolitan Epiphanios 15/12/18 & granting of Tomos-Autocephaly on 6/1/2019.
As Archbishop Daniel of Pamphilon (Exarch of Constantinople) of the EP said:
Archbishop Daniel reminded that the Synod also considered appeals of the leaders of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Kyiv Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church and abolished "various church sanctions" against these spiritual leaders. They were returned to their spiritual canonical ranks. As well as ALL the clergy under them that cares for the people of Ukraine in all their churches. "Therefore, if there are any talks about the inappropriateness or non-canonicity of the sacraments performed by these clerics, the Holy Mother Church gave the answer - these sacraments, the actions of the clergy are canonical. We are grateful to God and the Church of Constantinople, which cares for our Ukrainian people," he said.
Also for certain priests who continue to attempt to refute the announcement and decree of the Ecumenical Patriarchate ....in other words going against their own ecclesiastical authority's decision and decree by still referring to our Parishes and priests now under the Canonical Church of Ukraine including ours as 'schismatics & fakes' ....just a reminder as His Eminence Makarios of Chrystopoleos (now Archbishop of Australia of the Greek Archdiocese) of the EP said:
For those who continue to refute, dispute or question the Decision of the Mother church of Constantinople about Filaret, Macarius and ALL the clergy under them being restored and fully canonical... His Eminence Makarios of Christoupoleos (EP) re-iterating what Archbishop Daniel said to President Poreshenko the other day, in yesterdays interview His Eminence Makarios says :
Interviewer:
- Your Eminence, by the decision of the recent Synod of the Constantinople Patriarchate, if we correctly understand, the "anathema" and the excommunication of the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Kyiv Patriarchate Filaret and the head of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC) Macarius have been removed. The decision on this issue is final, will it be reviewed in the future?
His Eminence Makarios:
- "Indeed it is final, at the last meeting of the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the issues of the appeals of the "ecclesia" (the right of the supreme ecclesiastical court to hear the cases in respect of which the appeal was filed) is studied, Filaret Denisenko and Makaria Maletech, and the bishops and ALL the clergy who belong to them . After careful study of these requirements, it was decided to return both the plaintiffs, as well as the bishops & ALL clerics and laymen who belonged to them, in the canonical field. This means that henceforth, Filaret and Macarius are canonical hierarchs of the Church and have a canonical bishop's dignity. The same, of course, applies to ALL their other bishops, ALL the clergy, and laity, who are under them". Without dispute or any exemption.
It is worthy of note also and a great blessing that Metropolitan Epiphanios of Kyiv & all Ukraine (as the then Patriarchal Vicar & Metropolitan of Pereyasalv, came to Australia in November 2017 to Consecrate our church of St Savvas of Kalymnos. He was the first bishop to liturgise in our new church. Metropolitan Epiphanios is also the spiritual father of Fr Savas Pizanias (our priest).
As Fr Savas had said "My Spiritual father, our own Metropolitan Epiphanios, the one who consecrated our church a year ago 12/11/2017, the one who others were calling and saying a 'fake' bishop is consecrating that 'fake' church......how things turn & this same bishop is now the Canonical Bishop of our Ukrainian Orthodox Church!! How blessed to have our church & Holy Altar signed and consecrated by him, how blessed to have our Holy Andiminsio signed by him upon which we liturgise on every service. God is Good! Glory to God!"
To have our church, Holy Altar & Andiminsio consecrated & signed by the hands of Metropolitan Epiphanios- the Canonical Metropolitan of our Orthodox Church of Ukraine who received the Holy Tomos & Autocephaly from the hands of His all Holliness the Ecumenical Patriarchate Bartholomew, is a great blessing.
After the granting of Autocephaly and with accordance of the statutes of the TOMOS, all parishes of Kyiv & its priests (formerly Kyiv Patriarchate & UOAC) in the Diaspora are canonical & remain still directly under the Orthodox Church of Ukraine until the transitioning & acceptance of these parishes into the Ecumenical Patriarchate (as required per the statutes of TOMOS) takes place in the near future.
Photos of Fr Savas at Metropolitan Epiphanios Enthronement 2-3 Feb 2019 in Kyiv with his Spiritual Father Metropolitan Epiphanios & Hierarchs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Also recent photos of Fr Savas concelebrating the Divine Liturgy with the Hierarchs & Clergy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate & OCU (December 14-15th 2019) in Kyiv.
KYIV - 14-15th December 2019
