The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople has agreed to recognize the independence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, a move immediately hailed by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko but slammed as "catastrophic" by Moscow.

A synod meeting in Istanbul chaired by Patriarch Bartholomew I, who is considered the leader of the 300 million-strong worldwide Orthodox community, or "first among equals" of Eastern Orthodox clerics, decided on October 11 to "proceed to the granting of Autocephaly to the Church of Ukraine."

The synod, however, made sure to warn against violence and attempted property takeovers.



The move, which comes amid a deepening row in Orthodox Christianity over the Ukrainian Church's bid to formally break away from Russia's orbit, was hailed by President Petro Poroshenko as "something that we have dreamed of, waited for a long time, and fought for all the time."

But the Russian Orthodox Church condemned the decision as "catastrophic."

"Today the Patriarchate of Constantinople has made catastrophic decisions -- first and foremost regarding itself and global Orthodoxy," a spokesman for Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, Aleksandr Volkov, said in televised remarks. "The Patriarchate of Constantinople has crossed a red line."

Earlier, Kirill was quoted as saying that his church will "have to break eucharistical relations with Constantinople" following the decision.

Ukraine currently has three Orthodox denominations: the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC+MP), which remained subordinate to Russia after the breakup of the Soviet Union; and two breakaway entities -- the now-recognized Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC+KP), and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC).

The three are nearly indistinguishable in terms of their rituals but differ when it comes to the issue of church independence. And, along with the Russian church, they each trace their history to the ancient medieval state of Rus in Kyiv.

The Kyiv Patriarchate is headed by 89-year-old Patriarch Filaret, who was once a front-runner to head the Russian Orthodox Church. Filaret, who was excommunicated as Ukraine gained independence from the Soviet Union and he pushed for an independent Ukrainian church was reinstated, together with Kyiv Metropolitan Makariy -- who heads the UAOC -- to their canonical ranks, in another key move by the synod.

"Thus, the above-mentioned have been canonically reinstated to their hierarchical or priestly rank," said the statement.

Following Bartholomew's decision, Filaret said he would call a council with the leadership of the UAOC to choose a leader of a united autocephalous church of Ukraine. He said the Moscow-loyal UOC-MP representatives can attend if they desire.



"Moscow wants that there would be resistance, but we, Ukrainians, don't want resistance," he told a news conference.



The Ecumenical Patriarchate's move also marks a significant triumph for Poroshenko and his reelection hopes in March 2019.

"The decision made by the Ecumenical Patriarch and the synod has definitively dispelled Moscow's imperial delusions and chauvinist fantasies -- which had no support in any church-law documents -- on Ukraine as an allegedly canonical territory of the Russian [Orthodox] Church," Poroshenko said in a televised address.



There are concerns that the move could stoke tension and violence.

The Kyiv Patriarchate has already laid claim to the famous 11th century Kyiv Monastery of the Caves and the Holy Dormition Monastery in Pochayiv. Both are in the hands of the Russian-dominated Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

That is probably why Bartholomew appealed to all sides involved "that they avoid appropriation of Churches, Monasteries and other properties, as well as every other act of violence and retaliation, so that the peace and love of Christ may prevail," according to the statement.

The Ecumenical Patriarch, currently Bartholomew I, also holds the title of archbishop of Constantinople, the old Greek name for Istanbul, Turkey's largest city. The city fell to the Muslim Turks in 1453 but has remained the historic seat of Christian Orthodoxy.

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With reporting by AFP, AP, and TASS</s>The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate does not rule out that the Orthodox Church of Ukraine will be granted the tomos on autocephaly in November 2018.

Yevstratii Zorya, the spokesperson of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Kyiv Patriarchate, said this in an interview with the Hromadske.ua television channel, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

"We will do our utmost to see this happen as soon as possible. The closest possible date - the next meeting of the Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which will be in the second half of November," he said.

He says participating in the unification congress of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church will be primates who applied to the Ecumenical Patriarch with a request to grant the tomos on autocephaly.

"These will be primates of the Kyiv Patriarchate, the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, and some ten, we do not know exactly how many so far, from the Moscow Patriarchate," he said.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, Patriarch Filaret, the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate, says the tomos on autocephaly will be granted after unification of the Ukrainian Orthodox Churches.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate has urged the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate to jointly prepare the unification congress for electing the head of the Ukrainian autocephalous church.</s>The Ecumenical Patriarchate has granted self-rule, also known as autocephaly, to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

 

 The decision was reached during a meeting of the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and published on the Patriarchate's website.

 

 The Synod decreed to “renew the decision already made that the Ecumenical Patriarchate proceed to the granting of Autocephaly to the Church of Ukraine.”

 

 The Synod also decreed to “reestablish, at this moment, the Stavropegion of the Ecumenical Patriarch in Kyiv, one of its many Stavropegia in Ukraine that existed there always.”

 

 Stavropegia are subordinated directly to the Patriarchate, rather than to a local bishop.

 

 It also decided to “accept and review the petitions of appeal of Filaret Denisenko, Makariy Maletych and their followers, who found themselves in schism not for dogmatic reasons, in accordance with the canonical prerogatives of the Patriarch of Constantinople to receive such petitions by hierarchs and other clergy from all of the Autocephalous Churches.”

 

 “Thus, the above-mentioned have been canonically reinstated to their hierarchical or priestly rank, and their faithful have been restored to communion with the Church,” it said.</s>Ukraine's president on Thursday hailed the announcement by Orthodoxy's Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople that it will move forward with granting Ukrainian clerics independence from the Russian Orthodox Church, while the Russian church denounced the decision.

The Istanbul-based patriarchate, whose head Bartholomew I is considered the "first among equals" of Orthodox church leaders, said it was removing its condemnation of leaders of schismatic Orthodox churches in Ukraine, a step toward establishing an ecclesiastically independent — or autocephalous — church in Ukraine.

Since the late 1600s, the church in Ukraine has been formally under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church.

President Petro Poroshenko has pushed for the church in Ukraine to be independent.

"For us, our own church is a guarantee of our spiritual freedom," Poroshenko said. "I guarantee that the Ukrainian state will respect the choice of those who decide to stay in church structures retaining unity with the Russian Orthodox Church."

The Russian church, the world's largest Orthodox grouping, was furious.

"With its actions, Constantinople is crossing a red line and catastrophically undermines the unity of global Orthodoxy," said Alexander Volkov, a spokesman for Russian church leader Patriarch Kirill. The Russian church has said it will no longer regard the Ecumenical Patriarch as first among equals if the Ukrainian church is recognized as legitimate.

Ukraine currently has three Orthodox communities — those that stay under Moscow's control and two schismatic churches.

The leader of the larger of the two schismatic churches, Patriarch Filaret, said he would call a council with the leadership of the other schismatic church to choose a leader of the autocephalous church. Moscow-loyal church representatives can attend if they desire, he said.

"Moscow wants that there would be resistance; we, Ukrainians, don't want resistance," he told a briefing.

Recognition of a Ukrainian church that is not under Moscow's jurisdiction has been an increasingly fraught issue amid the high tensions over Russia's annexation of Crimea and its support of separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine. It strikes at the belief of many Russians that Moscow is the "Third Rome," the heir to Rome as Christianity's center.

The move could benefit Poroshenko in next year's elections.

"The creation of a local Ukrainian church has been one of Poroshenko's main slogans going into the 2019 presidential election," said Volodymyr Fesenko, an analyst at Ukraine's Penta think-tank.

Jim Heintz in Moscow and Suzan Fraser in Ankara contributed.</s>The Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople has decided to begin the creation of an autocephalous Orthodox Church in Ukraine. The move comes despite warnings against it from the Russian Orthodox Church.- the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. As the name implies, it's a largely autonomous church, which nevertheless answers to the Russian Orthodox Church.The Patriarchate of Constantinople intends to unilaterally declare recognition of a separate canonical church in Ukraine, although details of such an action are yet to be clarified. The conclave of its Synod took some decisions furthering such a policy.Among the decisions taken on Thursday was, in which Constantinople acknowledged the right of the Russian Orthodox Church to ordain the Metropolitan of Kyiv after his election by clerics of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.The Synod also decided to re-establish the office of the Stavropegion of the Ecumenical Patriarch in Kyiv. The term means thatThe announcement by Constantinople was criticized by the Russian Orthodox Church, which called it the "legalization of the schism.""The actions of Constantinople cross the red line and deal a catastrophic blow to the unity of the global Orthodoxy," said Aleksandr Volkov, spokesman for Patriarch Kirill, the head of the church.Vladimir Legoyda, who chairs the Church's public relations department, called the decisionsHe added that the reaction to Constantinople's move will be discussed by the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church next Monday.Volkov said that Moscow will now have to declare that it is no longer in communion with Constantinople, since the latter decided to treat Filaret and Makariy as clerics. This means that priests of the two patriarchies will no longer be able to conduct religious services together. Moscow has already taken a step that amounts to breaking diplomatic ties with Constantinople in response to its Ukrainian activities.Filaret praised the decision, saying it brings closer the creation of a single Ukrainian church independent from Moscow. His recognition as a legitimate cleric by one of the canonical Orthodox churches probably boosts the chances of him heading such a church one day., promised that Kiev would respect the people, who would choose to stay part of the Moscow-linked church.owned by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church by the schismatic churches.The Synod in Constantinople is aware of such concerns. In its announcement, it appealed "to all sides" to "avoid appropriation of churches, monasteries and other properties, as well as every other act of violence and retaliation."The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople is considered "first among equals" with regard to Orthodox churches around the world due to its historic significance. Its decisions however are not binding for other churches.There are some churches recognized by Moscow, but not Constantinople, and vice-versa Orthodox believers in Ukraine used to be part of Constantinople's 'spiritual territory, 'but the Kievan metropolis was transferred to Moscow's jurisdiction by Dionysius IV in 1686.</s>According to Russian Orthodox Church Synod representative Vladimir Legoyda, the Constantinople Patriarchate’s move is deeply anticanonical.

“Constantinople, in fact, has declared it entered into canonical communion with the schismatics and with an excommunicated person. The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church will give a proper assessment of these actions during its next meeting, which will be held on October 15 in Minsk," he said.

In the meantime, Priest Alexander Volkov, spokesman for the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill, said that the decision was "catastrophic," adding that the Patriarchate of Constantinople "has already crossed the red line.”

"In fact, it is possible to describe what was adopted today at the Synod of the Church of Constantinople as the legalization of schism… Unfortunately, the calls from all corners of the world Orthodoxy were not heard in Istanbul. And today the Constantinople Patriarchate made catastrophic decisions — first of all, for itself, and in general for the whole world Orthodoxy," Volkov said in an interview with Russia's Spas religious television channel.

Earlier in the day, the Constantinople Synod has confirmed in a statement, it reversed the 1686 decision which transferred the Kiev Metropolis to the Moscow Patriarchate.

"To revoke the legal binding of the Synodal Letter of the year 1686, issued for the circumstances of that time, which granted the right through oikonomia [abatement of canonic rules] to the Patriarch of Moscow to ordain the Metropolitan of Kyiv," the patriarchate said in a statement.

In mid-September, two exarchs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople started working in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate (UOC-KP), which came as part of Constantinople's preparations to grant autocephaly to the UOC-KP.

The initiative has been strongly criticized by the Russian Orthodox Church, which moved on to the actual "breaking of diplomatic relations" with the Patriarchate of Constantinople, suspending service with its hierarchs.</s>Orthodox clerics led by the Patriarch of Constantinople are set to decide the fate of Ukraine's Orthodox Church, with Moscow warning Wednesday that granting it independence would provoke street protests.

The Holy Synod, which decides on key matters for the Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarchate, is expected to pronounce on whether to grant independence to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church this week.

This has inflamed tensions with the Patriarchate of Moscow, which technically oversees most of Ukraine's Orthodox parishes, and whose clerics have warned that independence would provoke a rift in global Orthodoxy and hinted at possible physical street violence in Ukraine.

The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople is considered the first among equals and a spiritual leader for the world's 300 million Orthodox Christians.

The synod began on Tuesday and items on its three-day agenda are not made public, but the decision on Ukraine's autocephaly, or independence, is widely expected.

The Ukrainian Church is currently split into three bodies, the largest of which is technically overseen by the Patriarch of Moscow, a fact the Kiev government considers unacceptable given its ongoing war with Russia-backed rebels in the east.

Ukraine's second-largest Orthodox church split from Moscow in the 1990s and is headed by the charismatic Patriarch Filaret, who is reviled by Moscow and is a foremost proponent of a new independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Constantinople's Patriarch Bartholomew last month sent two envoys to Kiev, one of whom indicated in a meeting with President Petro Poroshenko that the process of granting independence, or autocephaly, was "on the finishing line".

The Moscow Patriarchate has cut ties with Constantinople over the affair, which it considers an unjust encroachment on its spiritual territory.

On Wednesday, an influential cleric went so far as to warn that parishioners will not hand over churches to a new Orthodox institution willingly.

"Of course, people will take to streets and protect their sacred sites," Hilarion, a bishop in charge of diplomacy at the patriarchate, was quoted by Russian agencies as saying at a religious congress in Kazakhstan.

Ukrainian authorities and many worshippers are wary of the influence of Russian Patriarch Kirill, who has supported the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and the separatists in the east of the country.

If the synod in Istanbul makes a favourable decision, a special assembly of Orthodox clerics in Kiev will choose the head of the new Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which could take place within 10 days.

Losing Ukrainian churches would be a huge blow for the Russian Orthodox Church.

About a third of parishes under the umbrella of the Moscow Patriarchate are in Ukraine, and losing them would undermine Kirill's image as a spiritual leader for Eastern Orthodoxy.

Hilarion said a decision for independence would lead to Ukrainian authorities physically taking over Orthodox churches and monasteries currently used by clerics under the Moscow Patriarchate.

These include some of Ukraine's most recognisable and popular landmarks, such as the Kievo-Pechersk Lavra in the capital Kiev.

"We are seeing already that Orthodox churches in Ukraine are being overthrown and the worshippers are coming to their defence," he said.

Some Russian websites have been circulating misleading information about Ukrainian nationalists storming the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, something even the Moscow Patriarchate was forced to brand fake news.

Clerics heading parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate in Ukraine have however called on parishioners to rally in defence of the churches.

The Metropolitan of Pochayiv said in a recent statement posted on the website of Ukraine's Pochayiv Lavra, a major Orthodox monastery in western Ukraine, that supporters should "be ready to defend" the monastery.</s>“We are not going to take part,” Clement said when asked whether the UOC would take part in the Unification Council.

The non-canonical church earlier called on the churches in Ukraine to begin preparations for a unifying council, which is to decide on church unity and select the head of a united local church.

READ MORE: Russian Orthodox Church Forced to End Eucharistic Ties With Constantinople

In response, the Russian Orthodox Church said that the Constantinople Patriarchate’s move was "deeply anticanonical" and "catastrophic" and announced it forced to end eucharistic ties between the churches.</s>The Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarchate says it will move forward with its decision to grant Ukrainian clerics independence from the Russian Orthodox Church.

The decision was announced Thursday following a regular holy synod meeting.

Ukraine has asked Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, seen by many as the first among equals of Eastern Orthodox leaders, to make the Ukrainian church autocephalous.

The church has been tied to the Moscow Patriarchate for hundreds of years, although many parishes have split off over the past two decades to form a schismatic church. Calls for independence have increased since Moscow's 2014 annexation of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine.

The Russian Orthodox Church has warned that it will sever ties with Bartholomew if he grants Ukraine's church autonomy.</s>The Kremlin has pledged to “defend the interests” of Russian church believers in Ukraine during a growing dispute between rival branches of the country’s Orthodox Church that are loyal to Kiev and Moscow.

The warning will alarm Kiev, because Russian president Vladimir Putin justified annexing Crimea in 2014 and supporting Moscow-led militia in eastern Ukraine by the need to defend ethnic Russians and Russian speakers in those areas.

Religion is the latest area of conflict between the neighbouring states, as the Kiev Patriarchate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church seeks to break with Moscow and secure recognition of its independence from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople – traditionally “first among equals” in the Orthodox hierarchy.

On Thursday, the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul announced that a holy synod had agreed that Ukraine should receive a tomos of autocephaly – or decree of independence – 332 years after Constantinople gave Moscow jurisdiction over Kiev in church affairs.

The Kiev Patriarchate now plans to hold a special council with the small Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church and willing archbishops from the Moscow Patriarchate to form a united Ukrainian church, which could formally receive the tomos as soon as next month.

The Russian church is furious over the issue, however, and warns that it will split the Orthodox world, end the primacy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and trigger violence in Ukraine over possession of its historic monasteries.

“If the developing events lead to illegal actions, then of course, just as Russia defends the interests of ethnic Russians and Russian-speakers everywhere, so here . . . Russia defends the interests of Orthodox believers,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

“This is an absolutely justified and understandable position,” he added, while insisting that Moscow would use “only political-diplomatic” methods in any response.

“We know about the tough and logical reaction of the Russian Orthodox Church to decisions announced yesterday from Constantinople,” Mr Peskov continued. “And we said several times before that we are extremely concerned by plans to take steps that could cause a split in the Orthodox world.”

Alexander Volkov, a spokesman for Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church, accused the Constantinople Patriarchate of “crossing a red line . . . catastrophically undermining the unity of global Orthodoxy” and “brazenly and aggressively” interfering in its affairs.

Ukrainian church independence would be a blow to Mr Putin – who has restored power and prestige to the Russian Orthodox Church – and critics of the Constantinople Patriarchate accuse it of acting on US orders to weaken Moscow’s influence.

Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko said the creation of an independent national church in his country would represent “a victory for good over evil, light over darkness”.

On Friday, the Kiev Patriarchate announced preparations for a council to unify the Ukrainian church and prepare for independence, which it said could be granted in the second half of November; the Moscow Patriarchate said it would not attend.

The Kiev church said unification should happen “voluntarily, peacefully and without coercion”, and Ukrainian interior minister Arsen Avakov warned that “if there is a need to counter extremism and religious hatred, we will act forcefully”.
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople plans to recognize the autocephaly of two Ukrainian Orthodox Churches, a move welcomed by Ukrainian leaders and denounced as "catastrophic" by the Russian Orthodox Church.