President Petro Poroshenko took part in the common prayer and
festivities on the occasion of the Day of Christianization of Kyivan
Rus’ - Ukraine at St. Volodymyr’s Hill in Kyiv.
The Head of State emphasized that “being a wise and visionary
statesman, Prince Volodymyr has realized the powerful potential of
Christianity and made a choice in favor of Christianization of Rus’ that
laid a firm foundation for the Ukrainian state. And the first bishops
and priests came to Rus’ from Constantinople.
“The Church of Constantinople has always been a Mother Church to
which we, its offsprings, have turned to seek help - including the issue
of overcoming the division, which is a great pain for Orthodox
Ukrainians today,” the Head of State noted.
The President emphasized that His All-Holiness Bartholomew had made
tremendous efforts to organize the Holy and Great Council of the
Orthodox Church despite the attempts of disruption. The Head of State
praised successful holding of the Council and adoption of important
documents.
Petro Poroshenko reminded that he had an opportunity to meet with the
Ecumenical Patriarch and see that His All-Holiness prays for Ukraine
and thinks about the way to help solve Ukrainian problems. The President
greeted Honourable Representative of His All-Holiness Bartholomew
Archbishop Job of Telmessos. “Master, tell His All-Holiness that the
Ukrainian Orthodox Church needs urgent attention from the Ecumenical
Throne of Constantinople. He is the only one who is able to help
Orthodox Ukrainians unit and resolve the issue of canonical status of
the Ukrainian Church in the structure of the world Orthodoxy,” the Head
of State said.
The President emphasized that according to the opinion polls, a
growing number of Orthodox Citizens of Ukraine want to have a single
national autocephalous church eucharistically and devotionally united,
yet administratively independent from other church jurisdictions. It is a
historical trend that Ukraine cannot avoid.
Petro Poroshenko noted that Ukraine would not watch the interference
of the foreign state into its religious affairs indifferently. That is
why, the Ukrainian Parliament has addressed the Ecumenical Patriarch
Bartholomew with a request to provide the Tomos of Autocephaly for the
Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
“One must be guided by the ancient canonical principle: civil and
land division must be followed by the division of religious affairs,”
Petro Poroshenko emphasized. According to him, Kyiv has received the
news that the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Constantinople
establishes a special commission for consideration of the Ukrainian
Parliament’s application with great hope.
"I am confident that due to the participation of His All-Holiness in
addressing this important issue, the Ukrainian Church and Constantinople
will form a unique relationship that will help overcome many negative
trends in the modern Orthodoxy," he said.
In his turn, Honourable Representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
Archbishop Job of Telmessos conveyed greetings from His All-Holiness
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. The Honourable Representative of the
Ecumenical Patriarchate noted, that the
Church of Constantinople will remain forever the Mother of Kyiv Church,
which has been directly subordinated until the end of the XVII century. “Like
a mother who always takes care of her children, the Holy and Great
Church of Christ, the Ecumenical Patriarchate takes care of the fate of
Ukraine and its people, prays against war and violence, acts to restore
peace, stands against division and schisms, does not stop working for
the revival of unity of the ecclesial body,” Archbishop Job of Telmessos
said.
The event has been attended by heads of all Ukrainian churches, government officials, volunteers, ATO soldiers and veterans.