AGREEMENT BETWEEN UKRAINE AND ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE DETAILS GRANTING OF TOMOS
An agreement signed today in Istanbul on cooperation and coordination between Ukraine and the ecumenical patriarchate in the creation of an independent Orthodox church in Ukraine, specifically details the process of the granting of a tomos. This was reported by a correspondent of Ukrinform.
"The ecumenical patriarch will grant a tomos recognizing the independence of the Ukrainian church and he will give it to the primate elected at a council; the Ukrainian state, in accordance with the constitution and laws, will cooperate with these processes," the document says.
In addition, the agreement indicates that a mission of the ecumenical patriarchate will be registered in Kiev, which will be in effect an embassy or representation of the ecumenical patriarchate in Kiev and will facilitate links of the independent Ukrainian church with world Orthodoxy.
"This also is a stavropegium (representation), whose opening is provided for by the same decision of the Synod of the ecumenical patriarchate that confirmed the granting of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine and revoked the bans from Filaret, Makary, and their followers," the document explains.
It also notes that Ukrainian bishops must assemble for a council and elect a primate, to whom the tomos will be given.
It was reported earlier that on 3 November in Istanbul, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew signed an agreement on cooperation and coordination between Ukraine and the ecumenical patriarchate. (tr. by PDS, posted 5 November 2018)
BARTHOLOMEW I: "AUTOCEPHALY WILL BRING ORTHODOX IN UKRAINE TO UNITY"
Today in Istanbul, after the signing of an agreement on cooperation between Ukraine and the ecumenical patriarchate, Patriarch Bartholomew addressed President Poroshenko and the Ukrainian people in a speech.
"Today we are living in an historic moment—an agreement on cooperation between the ecumenical patriarchate and Ukraine was signed. The right of Orthodox believers of Ukraine to have an autocephalous church and this desire, which you have had over the coure of many years, have been implemented in these days. You had a right to this, like other peoples who have received autocephaly from our church. It is the exclusive right of the ecumenical patriarchate to grant autocephaly and the moment for this has arrived. We are sure that the decision regarding autocephaly will lead the Orthodox believers in Ukraine to unity.
"The Mother-Church considers it appropriate to grant Ukraine the right to autocephaly. This new church will join the family of Orthodox churches of the world," the ecumenical patriarch noted in his speech.
Bartholomew I thanked Petro Poroshenko for his visit and for "the splendid church of St. Andrew, where there will be a permanent representation of the Mother-Church in Ukraine."
"I pray for an early visit to Ukraine and I bless the pious Ukrainian nation," Patriarch Bartholomew said after the signing in Istanbul of an agreement on cooperation between Ukraine and the ecumenical patriarchate. (tr. by PDS, posted 5 November 2018)
RPTs ACCUSES POROSHENKO OF VIOLATING UKRAINIAN CONSTITUTION
Interfax-Religiia, 3 November 2018
The Moscow patriarchate thinks that Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's signing of an agreement regarding cooperation with Patriarch Bartholomew violates the foundations of the constitutional structure of Ukraine.
"Of course, it is strange that the patriarch of Constantinople is conducting the dialogue regarding the ecclesiastical structure in Ukraine not with those who are authorized for such matters but with representatives of the secular government. This is an obvious violation of the foundations of the constitutional structure of the Ukrainian state," the vice-chairman of the synod's Department for External Church Relations, Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, told Interfax on Saturday.
He suggested that "Mr. Poroshenko's desire to acquire additional electoral resources is outweighing all norms of the law." The representative of the RPTs added, it is more difficult to understand which motives are guiding the hierarch of the Constantinople church in this matter.
On the whole, in the opinion of the news agency's interlocutor, the agreement signed on Saturday in Istanbul again confirms the intention of the parties to advance to the creation of some new church in Ukraine, although "this has been often talked about before and therefore the significance of the event is not great." (tr. by PDS, poseted 5 November 2018)
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