Poroshenko, Parubiy to attend tomos handover ceremony in Istanbul

A Ukrainian delegation headed by President Petro Poroshenko, which also includes Verkhovna Rada Chairman Andriy Parubiy, will take part this weekend in a ceremony on the signing of a tomos of autocephaly and its handover to the primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, the Ukrainian parliament's press service has reported.

"On January 5-6, 2019, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Andriy Parubiy, together with a delegation headed by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, will make a working visit to the Republic of Turkey," the report said.

It notes that on Saturday, January 5, delegates will take part in the signing of the tomos by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and in a church service at the Patriarchal Church of St. George. After the procedure for the signing of the tomos, statements will be made by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine Epiphanius, and President Petro Poroshenko.

The program of the visit also foresees a meeting of Poroshenko and Parubiy with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

On Sunday, January 6, the Ukrainian delegation will take part in the tomos handover ceremony and a divine liturgy that will be jointly offered by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Metropolitan Epiphanius, and in a water blessing ceremony in the Golden Horn Bay.

"Members of the delegation will also visit the grave of Ukrainian political figure Volodymyr Mursky at a Catholic cemetery and take part in a water blessing ceremony at the Patriarchal Church of St. George," the press service of the Verkhovna Rada reported.

The unification council on the creation of a single local Orthodox church in Ukraine was held at Sofiyska Square in Kyiv on December 15. Metropolitan Epiphanius was elected the primate of the new church. He is expected to get a tomos of autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in Istanbul on January 6.