Poroshenko awards Hero of Ukraine title to Filaret

He wrote this on his Facebook page.

"Nobody has yet invented the measure that can be used to measure the contribution of Patriarch Filaret to the struggle for the local church. He was, is and remains the spiritual leader of the Ukrainian church, the spiritual leader of the Ukrainian people. This is why I have decided to award him the 'Hero of Ukraine' title," Poroshenko wrote.

The head of state signed a decree to that effect on January 8.

According to the document, the title was awarded to Filaret for his "outstanding historical role in the formation of the independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine, activities aimed at reviving the spirituality of the Ukrainian people, raising the authority of Orthodoxy, and establishing ideals of mercy and interfaith concord."

On January 5, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew signed a tomos of autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

On January 6, the Patriarchal Church of St. George in Istanbul hosted a tomos handover ceremony and a Divine Liturgy that was concelebrated by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine Epiphanius.