Ecumenical Patriarchate justifies decision to grant Ukraine autocephaly

28.09.2018 11:52

Ukrinform

The Ecumenical Patriarchate has never transferred the Kyiv metropolis, on the basis of which the Ukrainian church emerged, to the canonical territory of the Moscow Patriarchate.

This is stated in a 29-page document, which provides data from archives, the Echo of Moscow radio station reported.

A historical study conducted with the support of the educational fund of the National Bank of Greece notes that the right of ordination was given to Moscow "for financial reasons," "from necessity" and "was temporary."

Thus, the Ecumenical Patriarch "has the right and duty to exercise maternal care about the Ukrainian church in every case that it considers necessary," the document says.

On April 19, Ukrainian MPs supported President Petro Poroshenko's address to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on the provision of a tomos (ordinance) of autocephaly. This idea has long been supported by the leadership of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kyiv Patriarchate) and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC).

The Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople has already begun the procedure needed to grant autocephaly to the new Ukrainian church. The meeting of the Synod, which will address this issue, is scheduled for October.

Recently, as part of preparations for the provision of autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the Ecumenical Patriarchate appointed Archbishop Daniel of Pamphilon from the United States and Bishop Ilarion of Edmonton from Canada as its exarchs in Kyiv.