A group of African priests of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and all Africa issued an open letter against the recent decision by Theodoros II of Alexandria to recognize the non-canonical Orthodox Church of Ukraine and to commemorate its primate, Epiphany Dumenko, in the Divine services.
The letter is signed by 27 priests from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia and calls on the Patriarch to reconsider the decision regarding the Ukraine question. The letter says that while the majority of the clergy and laity of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and all Africa are from Africa, their opinion on the matter has not been taken into account.
THE FULL TEXT OF THE LETTER (SOURCE):
An Open Letter of Orthodox African Priests
It was with great surprise and embarrassment that we, Orthodox African priests, learned about the decision of Patriarch Theodoros II of Alexandria to recognize the so-called “Orthodox Church of Ukraine.”
This sudden decision is the opposite of the position previously held by our Patriarch, and it jeopardizes the good relations of our Church with the Russian Orthodox Church that have developed in recent decades. In addition, the recognition of yesterday’s Ukrainian schismatics is criticized in many Local Churches, and means a break with the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, to which most Orthodox Ukrainians belong.
As far as we know, such a decision was made without asking the opinion of the African clergy, although it is the Africans who make up the majority of clergy and parishioners of the Patriarchate of Alexandria.
We would like to express our opinion and say that we do not agree with the above decision. We respect our Patriarch and obey our bishops, but, just as many priests and even bishops in the Church of Greece expressed their disagreement with a similar decision on the recognition of Ukrainian schismatics, we believe that we have no less of a right to express our opinion.
We regret the unexpected decision of the Patriarch of Alexandria and we would like to see it revised.
Rev. Fr. Agapios Omukuba, Kenya
Rev. Fr. Ambrose Chavala, Tanzania
Rev. Fr. Anastasios Andrea, Tanzania
Rev. Fr. Antipas Odhiam, Kenya
Rev. Fr. Athanasios Oruk, Uganda
Rev. Fr. Athanasios Rukamunuga, Tanzania
Rev. Fr. Augustinus Batalingaya, Tanzania
Rev. Fr. Barnabas Woasim, Zambia
Rev. Fr. Barnabas Kalumuna, Tanzania
Rev. Fr. Bartholomew Mapalala, Tanzania
Rev. Fr. Charalambos Ocen, Uganda
Rev. Fr. Chrysostomos Sospeter, Tanzania
Rev. Fr. Constantine Shoki, Tanzania
Rev. Fr. David Lakwo, Uganda
Rev. Fr. Eleftherios Nchunguye, Tanzania
Rev. Fr. Eliakim Kulali, Kenya
Rev. Fr. Johannes Asonga, Kenya
Rev. Fr. John Jacob, Tanzania
Rev. Fr. Laurent Sakwa, Tanzania
Rev. Fr. Marcos Rugemalira, Tanzania
Rev. Fr. Paul Kagoma, Tanzania
Rev. Fr. Hieromonk Philaretos (Kimaro), Tanzania
Rev. Fr. Petros Theophanos, Tanzania
Rev. Fr. Polycarpos Uchenja, Tanzania
Rev. Fr. Stephen Rushenya, Tanzania
Rev. Fr. Theodoros Mutabazi, Tanzania
Rev. Fr. Archimandrite Zacharia (Enock), Tanzania
What can someone expect from backwards people?
The war against Orthodox Church goes on. As it happened before too – Arie is a good example, some bishops are heretics while most of the Church fights to keep the faith. Maybe a Synod will solve the problem.
That’s right, in the same time it war on Islam. Same blueprints.
I don’t really see the war on islam. But I can see the war from islam… All those emigrants who want to impose sharia in their new adopted western countries are not innocent at all.