ECUMENICAL BARTHOLOMEW TAKES PART IN PRAYER IN ST. MICHAEL’S CATHEDRAL

                              

A doxology was held in St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral in Kyiv on the occasion of the arrival of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Ukraine.

The prayer began at 10:00 Kyiv time. In his address, Patriarch Bartholomew said Great Church cares about the unity of Orthodoxy in Ukraine, as well as the progress and well-being of the entire Ukrainian nation.

“With such thoughts, with such feelings of true and selfless love, we, the Most Blessed and very dear holy brother, have accepted both your invitation and the invitation from the highest Head of State of your Country. And today we are here with our esteemed entourage, which includes the Lord’s beloved brothers, Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, who has made many efforts and a great contribution to the Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan Amphilochius of Adrianople, your old acquaintance, and metropolitan Stephanos of Philippi Neapolis and Thassos, a humble and elected hierarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Greece, and our children in the Lord, namely the Chief Secretary of the Holy Synod that we chair, Archimandrite Gregory, from the Ukrainians of Canada there is Grand Syncellus Iakovos, Patriarchal Deacon Ieronymos, Director of the Press Office Nikolaos-Georgios Papachristou, and our staff laymen.

“We have all come to live with you in person through a glorious miracle: the miracle of the Resurrection, the struggle for the healing of division, the return to communion of the Church, the unhindered journey together on the path of Truth,” said Bartholomew.

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As a sign of his arrival in Ukraine, he presented а lamp with the image of St. Michael the Archangel, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine. Symbolically, in his address, Patriarch Bartholomew referred to Metropolitan Epifaniy as “Brother in the Cross,” which shows their equality as heads of the two fraternal Local Orthodox Churches.

In addition to the clergy and the faithful, former President Viktor Yushchenko joined the event.

Before the prayer, Patriarch Bartholomew paid tribute to the heroes of the Heavenly Hundred and the victims of the Holodomor.