OCU Metropolitans Simeon and Alexander (Drabinko) arrive for Tomos
Mets. Simeon and Alexander flew to Phanar to receive the Tomos, concelebrating with "Metropolitan" Epiphany and 3 schismatic "bishops" during the Divine Liturgy.
On January 6, 2019, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople will grant the Tomos on autocephaly to the Ukrainian delegation, which will include Metropolitans Simeon (Shostatsky) and Alexander (Drabinko) banned from ministry by the Holy Synod of the UOC, reports the online edition of “Na Parise”.
The Tomos will be received at a joint Divine service, which will be attended by "Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine" Epiphany Dumenko, 2 "bishops" of the UOC-KP, a "bishop" of the UAOC, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Andrei Parubiy and other members of the Ukrainian delegation, as reported by the Ukrainian journalist Olesia Rudnitskaya.
The journalist added that Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople has the right to perform public services only on major holidays, and that is why the Tomos bestowal was scheduled for January 6.
The leader of the Crimean Tatars Mustafa Dzhemilev said that he also intended to attend the granting of the document.