Ukrainian Canadian Congress welcomes tomos of autocephaly for Orthodox Church of Ukraine

“This is an epochal day for all Ukrainians, no matter what their faith or confession is,” President of the UCC Alexandra Chyczij stated on January 6.

“With the granting of the Tomos of Autocephaly, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine takes its rightful place among the world’s Orthodox Churches. The recognition by the world of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine as an independent, autocephalous Church has been awaited for many decades by the Ukrainian people. Today,on the eve of Christmas in Ukraine, a new chapter in the history of Ukraine begins,” she stressed.

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.

On December 15, 2018, the Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv hosted a unification council of orthodox churches in Ukraine. At this council, the clergy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate, the UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church created a single local Orthodox Church of Ukraine, approved its charter and elected the primate - Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine Epiphanius.