"I
congratulate you on this holiday. Congratulations on the Holy Orthodox
Church of Ukraine. I congratulate you on the spiritual independence of
our state and congratulate you on the realization of dreams," President
Petro Poroshenko said to media representatives after the solemn Liturgy
and the handing over of the Tomos of autocephaly of the Orthodox Church
of Ukraine.
"I am very proud today that I took communion in the Church of St.
George of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, our Mother Church. At the service
conducted by His All-Holiness Patriarch and His Beatitude Epifaniy,"
the Head of State said.
The President stressed that today the huge efforts of a large number
of Ukrainians have been completed. "Today, God was in this place. And we
felt it, because without God's help and care it would not have
happened," Petro Poroshenko added.
The President drew attention to the happy faces of the people who
were in the church. "For the first time, the concelebration of the
Ukrainian hierarch of the autocephalous church was held in this temple
in Ukrainian," the Head of State remarked. He once again thanked the
Ecumenical Patriarch, noting the faith, courage and wisdom of His
All-Holiness, and also thanked the Synod and the leaders and hierarchs
of Ukrainian churches, who all worked to ensure that the "dream of
generations of Ukrainians materializes".