Ecumenical Patriarchate reiterates its decision on tomos for Ukraine - communique

This is stated in a communique issued by the Ecumenical Patriarchate on Monday, November 19.

"In preparation for the meeting of the Holy and Sacred Synod from November 27-29, 2018, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople reiterates its sacred decision to grant the Tomos of Autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine," the document reads.

According to the communique, while the preparation process for the Holy Council of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine is underway, a concrete date will be presented within December 2018 for the confirmation and announcement by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

On October 11, the Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate decided to grant a tomos (ordinance) of autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Kyiv now has to convene an assembly involving the bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate, the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, who turned to the Ecumenical Patriarch with the request to grant the tomos. The assembly will carry out church unification, form a single local Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and elect its primate. After that, the head of the single local autocephalous Ukrainian Orthodox Church will receive the tomos as a document (letter).

President Petro Poroshenko and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew signed an agreement on cooperation between Ukraine and the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul on November 3.

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