ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) -- The spiritual leader of the
world's Orthodox Christians has suspended relations
with the head of Greece's Orthodox Church -- a move
that could lead to severed ties between the two
churches.
The decision by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I
followed a dispute over control of dioceses in
northern Greece with Greek church leader, Archbishop
Christodoulos.
The patriarch made the announcement after a meeting of
41 international bishops -- including Archbishop
Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
-- to assert his authority.
"We have exhausted all our efforts for peace and
unity," Bartholomew said. "So today we have taken this
unanimous decision with pain in our souls."
Bartholomew, a Turkish citizen, is the spiritual
leader of about 300 million Orthodox Christians.
He directly controls several Greek Orthodox churches
around the world, including the Greek Orthodox
Archdiocese of America.
He is also considered the head of 14 autonomous
Orthodox churches, including those of Albania,
Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Russia and Serbia.
Christodoulos has disputed Bartholomew's control over
more than 30 dioceses in northern Greece and on Aegean
Sea islands.
The spat flared this week when Christodoulos appointed
three metropolitan bishops without Bartholomew's
approval.
Bartholomew can't dismiss the archbishop, but can
attempt to isolate him abroad and within the Greek
church.
In Greece, a shaken Christodoulos described the
patriarch's move as an "unjust decision."
"Our actions have been in accordance with 75 years of
peaceful practice -- nothing more, nothing less," he
said with a shaky voice.
"Depite my personal bitterness ... the Church of
Greece will continue to support the Ecumenical
Patriarchate just as it always has."
Christodoulos did not make clear if he would give in
to Bartholomew, who threatened Friday to scrap a 1928
agreement with Greece and the Greek church, and take
direct control of the disputed diocese.
The warning was seen in Athens as a threat to
effectively break off ties between the two churches.
"We cannot communicate with a brother who only in
words respects the mother church," he said.
"The mother church gave the Church of Greece ... its
house to look after, and now (Christodoulos) says the
house should belong to him because many years have
passed."
A lengthy statement read out after Friday's meeting
said Bartholomew did not recognize the election of the
three bishops and called on them not to take up their
new positions.
