Constantinople ruminates on Ukraine situation

(Interfax-UA) - The Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople has accepted the appeal from the president of Ukraine to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew asking the patriarch to grant a tomos (an official church document) about the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine, a decision was made to start the procedures necessary to grant autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the Ukrainian president's administration reported.

"The Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate has taken to consideration the appeal of the president of Ukraine to the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew for the provision of a tomos about the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine, the decision of the Verkhovna Rada to support his appeal, as well as the corresponding appeals of the hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox churches, and the Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate decided to start the procedures necessary to grant the autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine. In particular, other local Orthodox churches will be notified about this," the official website of the Ukrainian president reported on Sunday evening.

The administration noted that on behalf of President Petro Poroshenko, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine Rostyslav Pavlenko visited Istanbul on April 20 and handed to His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew the appeal of the Ukrainian leader concerning granting autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine.

In addition, he also handed the ecumenical patriarch a decree of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on supporting this appeal by the president of Ukraine.

As reported, on April 17, Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko said about his intentions to appeal to Archbishop of Constantinople, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, asking him to issue a tomos (an official church document) granting autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine, and called on the Verkhovna Rada to support it. According to him, if there is a relevant resolution of the Verkhovna Rada, the president's address and the appeal of church hierarchs, this appeal will be transferred to the Ecumenical Patriarch.

On April 19, 268 MPs supported the appeal of the president of Ukraine to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to grant a tomos about the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine.