PARUBY INVITES ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW TO UKRAINE THROUGH EXARCHS
The head of the Verkhovna Rada, Andrei Paruby, invited Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to Ukraine. "I am inviting the ecumenical patriarch to Ukraine," Paruby said at a meeting with the exarchs of the ecumenical patriarchate in Ukraine, Archbishop of Pamphilon Daniel from the U.S.A. and Bishop of Edmonton Ilarion from Canada, on Friday in Kiev, Interfax-Ukraine reports.
The speaker of parliament asked the exarchs to relay this invitation to the ecumenical patriarch. Paruby said that the visit by the ecumenical patriarch to Ukraine "will be a great sign and will be a great symbol for Ukraine and the Verkhovna Rada." He also expressed the hope that the decision regarding granting autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church will be made.
In their turn, the exarchs noted that it remained to make the last steps in the matter of granting a tomos, and they spoke in favor of further cooperation with the Ukrainian parliament.
"I think that His Holiness . . . will visit Ukraine and he also will attend the Verkhovna Rada, which adopted this historic decision" (the appeal to the patriarch for granting autcephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church—IF)," Bishop of Edmonton Ilarion said.
In early September, the ecumenical patriarchate appointed as its exarchs in Kiev Archbishop of Pamphilon Daniel from the U.S.A. and Bishop of Edmonton Ilarion from Canada within the framework of preparation for granting autocephaly to the Orthodox church in Ukraine. Soon after the adoption of this decision, the exarchs arrived in Ukraine. (tr. by PDS, posted 5 October 2018)
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