HIERARCHY 2026: The Archbishop's proposal for the solution to the Asteri issue was unanimously accepted - October 10 and 11 ordinationstranslated

The Holy Synod of the Hierarchy of the Church of Greece convened today, Thursday, October 8, 2026, in its third Ordinary Session, under the Presidency of His Beatitude Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Mr. Ieronymos, in the Conference Hall of the Holy Synod of the Hierarchy. After the prayer, the List of participating Hierarchs was read and a quorum was drawn. The Minutes of yesterday's Session were then ratified.

Then, according to the Agenda, the Most Reverend Metropolitan of Nea Smyrna, Mr. Simeon, read his Introduction, on the subject: "The pending issue of the Bishop's ordination of the elected Bishop of Asterio, Mr. Christodoulou Kotsifis". After the Presentation, the Blessed President proposed the following for the solution of this ecclesiastical issue: a) If the elected Bishop of Asterio, Mr. Christodoulos Kotsifis, withdraws the acceptance of his election, the second Archimandrite, Mr. Kallinikos Nikolaou, is elected. b) In case of acceptance of this proposal, he proposed the election of Archimandrite Mr. Christodoulou Kotsifis as Assistant Bishop instead of the Holy Archdiocese of Athens with the title of the once brilliant Diocese of Neochorio.

On the…