Ukraine Church Granted Independence in Historic Split With Russia

[Rogue Valley]

Ukraine Church Granted Independence in Historic Split With Russia

Religious independence document (Tomos) was signed by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at a service with the head of the Ukrainian church Metropolitan Epifaniy and
President Petro Poroshenko in St George's Cathedral in Istanbul.

1/5/19
The spiritual head of Orthodox Christians worldwide formally granted independence to the Ukrainian church on Saturday, marking an historic split from Russia which Ukrainian leaders see as vital to the country's security. The decree, granting "autocephaly," was signed by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at a service with the head of the Ukrainian church Metropolitan Epifaniy and President Petro Poroshenko in St George's Cathedral in Istanbul. "I want to thank the millions of Ukrainians around the world who responded to my appeal to pray for the church to be established," Poroshenko said at a ceremony accompanied by solemn liturgical singing. "I want to thank the generations of Ukrainians who dreamed...and finally God sent us the Orthodox Church of Ukraine," he told the congregation in the crowded church. The patriarchate, the seat of the spiritual leader of some 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide, endorsed Ukraine's request for the new church in October. The decree, or Tomos, will be handed to Epifaniy at a ceremony on Sunday, completing the process of recognition by the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

Russia bitterly opposes the split, comparing it to the Great Schism of 1054 that divided western and eastern Christianity. Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill made a last-ditch appeal against the process last month. "Huge win for Ukraine, defeat for the Kremlin," economist Timothy Ash wrote on Twitter. "[It] will make Moscow's hope of some future pull of Ukraine back into its 'orbit' nigh on impossible without the use of overwhelming [catastrophic] military force." Religious divisions deepened in Ukraine after 2014 and two Orthodox factions vie for dominance. The Ukrainian Orthodox church has been beholden to Moscow for hundreds of years, and Ukraine's leaders see church independence as vital to tackling Russian meddling. Kiev says Moscow-backed churches on its soil are a Kremlin tool to spread propaganda and support fighters in the eastern Donbas region in a conflict that has killed more than 10,000 people. The move incensed Moscow, and prompted President Vladimir Putin to warn of possible bloodshed in his annual news conference. Relations between Ukraine and Russia collapsed after Moscow's seizure of Crimea in 2014.

Necessary for the survival of Ukraine as an independent state. The Russian Orthodox Church functioned as a Kremlin 5th column within Ukraine.

Related: Bartholomew Signs 'Tomos' Granting Independence To New Orthodox Church In Ukraine

 

[Rogue Valley]

This is the Tomos. This "autocephaly" decree signed by Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew grants the Orthodox Ukrainian Church independence from Russia.
The Tomos was flown from Constantinople to Ukraine yesterday in time for the January 7 Orthodox Christmas Day.

 

[Rogue Valley]

The Tomos (religion independence decree) has arrived in Ukraine and is on display at Sofiya Kyivska (St. Sofia/Kyiv).