A hierarch of the Hellenic Church criticized the joint celebrations of the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Roman Catholic Church at the Phanar

The hierarch of the Hellenic Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Seraphim of Kythira and Antikyphyria, criticized the joint celebrations with Roman Catholics of the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council, held in Turkey in late November 2025 under the auspices of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The Hierarch noted that only one – except Patriarch Bartholomew – of the Primates of the Local Orthodox Churches was present at the celebration precisely because Pope Leo XIV took part in the event. In addition, Metropolitan Seraphim said that it was inappropriate to sign a declaration of cooperation between the Patriarch of Constantinople and the Pope because of the significant contradictions in Orthodox and Catholic theology. The words of the bishop are reported by Orthodoxia News Agency.

“The celebration of the 1700th anniversary of the gathering in Nicea of the 318 holy and God-bearing Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council, an event great and historic for the way of the Church struggling on earth, did not have, as might have been expected, an Pan-Orthodox Council with the participation of the Eminence of the Primates of the Autocephalous Orthodox Churches. Two (2) of the 14 High Priests attended. And this happened, obviously, because of the presence and participation of the Pope of Rome, who is non-Orthodox and unacceptable, according to the Holy Canons, in the Church communion, ” Metropolitan Seraphim noted.

The hierarch added that the joint declaration signed during the celebrations by the heads of the Phanar and the Vatican is absolutely inappropriate in view of the significant differences between the views of the Orthodox and Catholic Churches on the concept of “the unity of all Christians.” The hierarch emphasized that while Orthodoxy speaks of unity based on dogmatic and canonical order, Catholicism allows alliances with Protestant denominations that have radically deviated from basic Christian values by “blessing” same-sex unions and admitting LGBT persons and women to priestly and episcopal ministry.

“The restoration of full communion among all Christians,” according to the general statement, “in addition to recognizing the obstacles that prevent it,” necessarily presupposes adherence to and acceptance in all respects of the Gospel and all Sacred Scriptural Truth, as well as the centuries-old Sacred Church Tradition (Divine Worship, the Holy Sacraments, the Apostolic and Holy Patriarchal Tradition, the Divinely inspired Dogmas, the Divine and Sacred Canons). In the West, for example, Papists and Protestants “bless” same-sex “marriages.” Moreover, the latter (Protestants), who have an “archbishop” who is a woman and “ordain priests,” perform unnamed “marriages” not only between persons of the same sex, but between four persons (“polygamy”!). Is it possible, when there are such phenomena of moral decay, eccentricity and destruction of moral and spiritual values, which surpass the sodomy orgies of that ancient era, can we talk about “restoration of full communion among all Christians?”, – added the bishop.

Recall, earlier we reported that Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and Pope Leo XIV signed a joint declaration in Istanbul reaffirming their commitment to the path to restore full communion between the Roman Catholic and Constantinople Churches. The document also calls for an end to wars and the unification of the date of Easter.