POROSHENKO SIGNS LAW ON TRANSFER OF CHURCH OF ST. ANDREW TO CONSTANTINOPLE
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed bill no. 9208 regarding the transfer of the church of St. Andrew to Constantinople. This was reported by RBK-Ukraine, citing information on the parliament's website.
The final stage in the passage of the document is its return on 7 November with the signature from the president.
The text of the law reads: "To establish that the church of St. Andrew of the "Kievan Sophia" National Preserve, which is an outstanding object of the cultural heritage and a monument of architecture of national significance as a liturgical structure, which is owned by the state, is transferred to continual use free of cost to the ecumenical patriarchate for conducting worship services and religious rituals, ceremonies, and processions."
An explanatory note emphasizes that the transfer of the church of St. Andrew to Constantinople is an important step in carrying out the work of preparation for receiving a tomos concerning the autocephaly of the UPTs.
We recall that in October the Ukrainian Supreme Soviet supported on first reading for a basis and for the whole the bill no. 9208 regarding transfer of the church of St. Andrew to Constantinople. On second reading, 237 deputies of the S.S. voted for the law (on the first vote it was 216).
We recall that Rostislav Pavlenko, an advisor of the Ukrainian president and director of the National Institute of Strategic Studies, declared that the renovation of the church of St. Andrew in Kiev, which was transferred for the use of the ecumenical patriarchate, is being accelerated. Pavlenko added that 2020 is the deadline, but renovation may be accelerated. (tr. by PDS, posted 7 November 2018)
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