Panorthodox Synod : UOC ARCHIMANDRITE FROM KYIV-PECHERSK LAVRA JOINS OCU

Panorthodox Synod : UOC ARCHIMANDRITE FROM KYIV-PECHERSK LAVRA JOINS O...:                               Archimandrite Avraamiy (Latysh), a member of the Spiritual Cathedral of the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Peche... A lawsuit filed by Metropolitan Pavlo,former head of the Lavra (Monastery),was earlier in the day dismissed by the Kyiv Commercial Court.It contested the right of the National Reserve authority (Government of Ukraine),to evict the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Moscow Patriarchate from the Lavra.

Panorthodox Synod : METROPOLITAN EPIFANIY: ROC PATRIARCH ACTS LIKE PUT...

Panorthodox Synod : METROPOLITAN EPIFANIY: ROC PATRIARCH ACTS LIKE PUT...:              Фото: Митрополит Епіфаній Patriarch Kirill of Moscow is similar to Russian President Vladimir Putin, because the ROC has...

Outdoors co-liturgy by Ecumenical Patriarch, Metropolitan Epiphaniy of Kyiv in Hagia Sofia Kyiv,Ukraine

Where the OCU Stands Today:Ukrainian Orthodox Church Is One Year Old

Major Events Highlight Ukraine and its New Orthodox Church

A swirl of important events this weekend are highlighting Ukraine and its new autocephalous Church.First, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew arrived in Thessaloniki, Greece on 18 October 2019.The next day at the ancient fifth century Church of the Panagia Acheiropoietos,he concelebrated the Patriarchal Divine Liturgy with His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens and All Greece,at which the name of His Beatitude Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kiyiv and All Ukraine was inscribed by Archbishop Ieronymos in the Dyptichs of the Church of Greece, the list of Primates of the autocephalous Orthodox Churches.
Metropolitan Epifaniy could not attend as he had to be in New York to receive a high honour for his courageous effort for religious freedom, the 2019 Athenagoras Human Rights Award,from the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate,a group of lay leaders pledged to defend the Patriarchate and religious freedom worldwide.*
The Ukrainian World Congress sent a message expressing sincerest thanks to Archbishop Ieronymos for leading the Church of Greece to this momentous juncture, being the first Orthodox Church to recognise the Ukrainian autocephaly.As Patriarch Bartholomew stated later in the day at the blessing of the renovated Chapel of St.Eleftherios in the Heptakyrgion Castle:
The hope of freedom is never imprisoned.*
At the Divine Liturgy, Patriarch Bartholomew said:
We look forward to the visit of Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kiyiv.Our Ukrainian brothers will see that the Greeks, who taught them the
Christian faith,as well as to read and to write, will welcome them with open arms.We want them to feel real love.from our side.
The greatness of our history mainly depends on the future.The Greek Community is able to survive in this world under the condition that we respect our past.*
As for his part, Metropolitan Anthimos noted that:
Thessaloniki is the symbol of the Greek Community since ancient times.This place expresses all of its history by Hellenism.With great pain and effort the archeological service, with the support of the priests and my participation, brought this ancestral place the glory which is the pride of all Macedonia and beyond.Today will remain in history as a very promising one for our spiritual problems, our historical  issues, and our vision of a united and dedicated Greece.*

Ukraine Update:Tomos Takes Effect - Ukraine's leading presidential candidate shares her opinion

On 5 January 2018,His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew,who is 78,signed into effect the Tomos of Autocephaly for the Orthodox Church of Ukraine at a ceremony in Constantinople.Attending the event in the Patriarchal Church of St.George in the Phanar,the Patriarchate's enclave in Istanbul,Turkey,was the first Primate of the new Church,His Beatitude Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kiyiv and All Ukraine,and President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko.
On 6 January,the two Primates will concelebrate the Divine Liturgy in the same church,and afterwards Patriarch Bartholomew will present the scrolled,handwritten and illuminated Tomos manuscript to Metropolitan Epifaniy.The manuscript will then be put on public display in the Small Sofia Church in Kyiv,following the Christmas Divine Liturgy celebrated by Metropolitan Epifaniy,39,at the St.Sofia Cathedral,the large church in the national heritage site,which will be filled with dignitaries attending the service,including intellectual and cultural figures.The general public will be able to pray in the cathedral courtyard in front of a big screen TV.*
The leading presidential candidate in the March election in Ukraine,Yulia Tymoshenko,praised the Tomos in a Facebook post,calling its signing:
a big and bright day in our national history.
The Tomos is a landmark.This is a symbol of the spiritual identity of the nation and a huge inspiration for the unity of Ukraine.May the Lord help us on our way.With faith in Ukraine;with faith in a better future.Onward,Ukraine!*
Ms.Tymoshenko,who was prime minister of Ukraine from 2007-10,currrently has a wide lead over her rivals,including the incumbent Mr.Poroshenko.She supports Ukraine's joining NATO and the European Union.

Ukraine Update:Tomos Schedule Revealed;Map Shows How Many Parishes Have Left Moscow

In an interview with Ukrainian TV channel Priamyi,His Beatitude Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kiyiv and All Ukraine has laid out the schedule for the Tomos events in Constantinople:
5 January - His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Metropolitan Epifaniy will conduct a prayer service of thanksgiving in the Church of St.George at the Patriarchal compound,the Phanar.Then Patriarch Bartholomew will sign the Tomos of Autocephaly.
6 January - Patriarch Bartholomew and Metropolitan Epifaniy will concelebrate their first Divine Liturgy together as the First Among Equals and the first Primate in the history of the new autocephalous Church.After the solemn liturgy,Patriarch Bartholomew will present the Tomos to Metropolitan Epifaniy.*
A map showing how many parishes have transferred from the Moscow Patriarchate to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine has been posted on Google Maps.It currently shows that 25 parishes have changed their allegiance so far-even before the Tomos has been granted.There is a cluster around the Vinnitska Oblast with 10 parishes.The easternmost parish on the map is in Rubanivske,Dnipropetrovska Oblast,Ukraine;while the westernmost parish is in Minai,Zakarpatska Oblast,Ukraine.
The easiest way to find the map is to go to my Twitter page @Businessblogger.If you click on the church icons that are on the map,you can view the details about each parish in the Ukrainian language.*
The Patriarchate of Georgia says it has provisionally approved of the granting of autocephaly to Ukraine,but will not make a final decision until the Tomos is actually presented.

Ukraine:Metropolitan Alexander Leaves Moscow Patriarchate for New Church

On 19 December 2018,old calendar St.Nicholas Day,His Eminence Metropolitan Alexander (Drabinko) of Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky announced he was leaving the Moscow Patriarchate for the new Orthodox Church of Ukraine.The faithful in the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral applauded his statement:
Today,for the first time during the liturgy,I commemorated the Ecumenical Patriarch and His Beatitude the Metropolitan of Kiyiv Epifaniy,but unfortunately some of the parishoners and clerics did not accept my admission to the OCU,and therefore left the temple;but I hope they will return.*
Metropolitan Alexander was one of the two Moscow Patriarchate Metropolitans who attended the Unifying Council in Kyiv on 15 December.The other was Metropolitan Simeon of Vinnytsia.On 18 December,the cathedral parish council ruled that Metropolitan Alexander had the right to serve in the cathedral and remain its rector.
The Moscow Patriarchate convened a synod to depose and prohibit from serving Metropolitans Alexander and Simeon.