Petro Poroshenko: Today we have received autocephaly

The President stressed that the decision on granting autocephaly had already been made.

At last “in the constellation of independent and equal national Churches” the “Ukrainian star” will be shining – a Single Local Orthodox Church. This was stated by President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko in his address to the Ukrainian people on October 11, when he was congratulating Ukrainians on receiving autocephaly in absentia.

“The Lord saw the struggle of the Ukrainian people for their independence. He heard our prayers and appreciated our efforts. It was the Lord’s will that His Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Synod of Constantinople would say the long-awaited "yes”. The Local Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine is to be!” announced the head of the Ukrainian state, noting that the decision of the Synod of Constantinople finally dispels “Moscow’s conceptual claims for world domination.”

The President emphasized that the decision on granting autocephaly had already been made: “Today we have received autocephaly. And after the council, the elected head of the Ukrainian Local Church will receive the Tomos.”

At the same time, he noted that the issue of Tomos goes far beyond the limits of ecclesiastic life; therefore the state joined it, for “this is a question of our independence, national security, statehood, and all world geopolitics”.

“World Orthodoxy, as His Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew once wrote, is a constellation of independent and equal national Churches. And finally, our Ukrainian star will shine in this constellation,” the president added.

“Dear compatriots!, Poroshenko turned to the Ukrainians. “I sincerely congratulate you on this absolutely grandiose historical event and thank you for the mass support of the idea, the time of which has come. This is a great victory for the God-loving Ukrainian people over the Moscow demons, a victory of good over evil, light over darkness. I congratulate everyone on this great day, which the Ukrainian people have been waiting for over a long 332 years.”

Recall that the Synod of the Constantinople Orthodox Church finished its work in Istanbul yesterday. The official document on the outcome of the meeting of the Synod did not say anything about the approved decision to grant autocephaly to Ukraine. The adopted resolution says that the process will continue: “to renew the decision on that the Ecumenical Patriarchate will proceed to the granting of Autocephaly to the Church of Ukraine”. Thus, the document declared only the desire to bestow autocephaly.

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