Poroshenko congratulates Ukrainians on Christmas and birth of independent church

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko said this in his Christmas greeting, made public on the official website of the head of state.

“We have finally liberated from Moscow’s captivity our ancient Church, whose history dates back to the time of the Equal of the Apostles Prince Vladimir. And it, equal between equal ones, has entered the family, which now consists of fifteen independent Orthodox churches,“ the president noted.

At the same time, Poroshenko stressed that Christmas is first of all a family holiday. And this day, we, Ukrainians, traditionally meet with relatives and loved ones.

“I congratulate everyone on Christmas and on the birth of the independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine,” he stressed.

“May the incessant light of the Bethlehem Star become a source of optimism and faith in the fortunate future for all Ukrainians. May the Christmastime give each family peace and calm, may all of us be united by our native Ukraine, which we love so much and which we are proud of," the president’s wife, Maryna Poroshenko, noted in her congratulations.

As reported, on January 6, 2019, the ceremony to hand over a tomos of autocephaly to the united Orthodox Church of Ukraine took place at the Patriarchal Church of St. George in Istanbul. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew gave the document to Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine Epiphanius.