Church of Greece revokes honor for former Metropolitan Ambrosios over ‘insulting’ letter

The Standing Holy Synod of the Church of Greece unanimously decided on Thursday, September 10, 2026, to revoke its earlier decision to award an honorary distinction to former Metropolitan Ambrosios of Kalavryta and Aigialeia.

According to the Holy Synod’s announcement, the decision followed a letter of more than 40 pages recently sent by the former Metropolitan to the members of the new Synodal Period.

The Standing Holy Synod judged the content of the letter to be “insulting to the body of the Standing Holy Synod, as well as to the Holy Synod of the Hierarchy of the Church of Greece.”

Following a roll-call vote, the Synod unanimously revoked its decision of August 26, 2026, to award Ambrosios the Gold Cross with Star of the Order of the Apostle Paul of the Church of Greece.

The decision was taken during the first meeting of the Standing Holy Synod of its 170th Synodal Period, held on September 9 and 10 under the presidency of Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece.

At the opening of the proceedings, the prescribed special service was celebrated, after which Archbishop Ieronymos welcomed the new members and expressed his hope that their work would be conducted in a…