The Ecumenical Patriarchate will not grant autocephaly to the Church of North Macedonia until it enters into communion with the OCU.
This was stated by Professor of Canon Law, Metropolitan Gregorios Papathomas of Peristeri, at a meeting with clergy and theologians. Fr. Andriy Dudchenko wrote about this on his Facebook page.
"To ask for the Tomos from the Ecumenical Patriarchate, one must acknowledge what this Patriarchate does. That is, to recognize the autocephaly it granted earlier.
By way of analogy, I can say that if the UOC would like the Ecumenical Patriarchate to help it in regulating its canonical status, it should enter into communion with the OCU," Fr. Andriy emphasized.
Regarding the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Papathomas of the Church of Greece proposed to the Ecumenical Patriarchate to cancel the autocephaly of the Russian Church for 5 years.
"It sounds utopian. I did not understand how it could help in resolving the situation. Unless a Pan-Orthodox Council was convened, without the participation of the Russian Orthodox Church, and the necessary decisions were made," said Fr. Andriy Dudchenko.