HOLY AND GREAT COUNCIL DOCUMENT

Draft Synodical Document

Δευτέρα 17 Σεπτεμβρίου 2018

THE EXARCHS OF THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE READY FOR DIALOGUE WITH RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS



Archbishop Daniel of the Pamphylia in the United States, exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Ukraine, assured that, together with Bishop Hilarion of Edmonton in Canada, arrived in Kyiv to take further steps towards the unification of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

He stated this during a meeting with President Petro Poroshenko in Kyiv, the correspondent of Ukrinform reports.
"We came here (in Kyiv - ed.) Not to divide the Ukrainian Orthodoxy, but rather take further steps in order to bring to all the desirable unity for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. We are ready for close cooperation with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kiev Patriarchate, of course, but we are ready for dialogue and good cooperation with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the bosom of the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as with the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church,”, the Archbishop Daniel said.
He also assured that, together with Bishop Hilarion, there are no "preoccupations" to meet with representatives of various religious organizations, to hear their opinion and constructively cooperate with them.
In addition, the archbishop added that meetings are planned also with representatives of the authorities.
"We have a lot of work ahead of us. We will begin our mission as soon as possible, and already arranged several meetings with various representatives of religious organizations in Ukraine have started," added the Archbishop Daniel.
As reported, President Petro Poroshenko said on April 17 that he had prepared an appeal to the Ecumenical Patriarch asking for a Tomos to give an autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine. On April 19, the the Ukrainian Parliament supported this appeal.
Later, Poroshenko said that the Ecumenical Patriarchate began the necessary procedures to provide autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
On September 2, at the Bishops' Council in Constantinople, the bishops decided that the Ecumenical Patriarchate could provide autocephaly without any negotiation.
On September 7, the Ecumenical Patriarch appointed two exarchs to Ukraine in the framework of preparation for the granting of autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
The Russian Orthodox Church is opposed to the granting of autocephaly to the Ukrainian Church.
Photo: Presidential website