Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew confirmed that Tomos about autocephalous Ukrainian Orthodox Church will be solemnly presented on Christmas Eve

By 112 Agency

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate recognized the annexation of the Kyiv metropolis by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1686 as illegal. President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko wrote about this on Twitter.

“An important decision of the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Synod is confirmation of the illegality of the Moscow annexation of the Kyiv Metropolis. This decision clearly defines our spiritual boundaries. It strongly rejects Moscow’s hallucinatory claims to Ukraine as the supposedly canonical territory of the Russian Orthodox Church, that is, Russia itself,” the president wrote.

Today, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko had a telephone conversation with the Ecumenical Patriarch. According to Poroshenko, the Ecumenical Patriarch confirmed that Tomos about autocephaly of the newly established Ukrainian Orthodox Church will be solemnly presented on Christmas Eve, January 6.

“For the first time, a church consecrated by the Ecumenical Throne is born in Ukraine. On Sunday night, a few hours after the Assembly was over, the Ecumenical Patriarchate recognized the new church by its special communique. Tomos will be solemnly presented on Christmas Eve,” he said.