Epiphany expects Phanar to grant OCU the status of patriarchate
The status of patriarchate was an idea of the All-Ukrainian Council of the UAOC (1990) that became a "historical step" to the "full independence" of OCU, Epiphany said.
With joint efforts and with the blessing of the Phanar, the OCU will achieve the granting of patriarchate status, the head of the schismatic structure Epiphany Dumenko said in his greetings on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the "All-Ukrainian Council" of the UAOC.
“The All-Ukrainian Council of 1990 is one of the historical steps to the now fully authorized independence of our Orthodox Church,” the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church wrote on his Facebook page. “After centuries of spiritual captivity, centuries of continuous struggle for their Church, more than 700 delegates from all over Ukraine unanimously proclaimed: Let the Autocephalous Church in Ukraine be!”
He added that “with thanks to God, we recall the events of 30 years ago. After all, every believer of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine is the co-creator of a great achievement – spiritual independence, finally approved by the Synod and Patriarchal Tomos", which would not have been possible without "unity based on the idea of autocephaly".
“I believe that just as in God’s blessed time, the Tomos of the Ecumenical Patriarchate authorized autocephaly, for which generations of Ukrainian Orthodox had fought, by joint efforts and with the blessing of the Mother Church, we will achieve the approval of the status of the Patriarchate for the OCU, whose idea is also connected with the mentioned Council,” Epiphanius emphasized.
As reported earlier, the Phanar hierarch called the OCU a “gift” from the Patriarchate of Constantinople to the people of Ukraine.
