Kiev, November 19, 2018
Photo: spzh.news The Patriarchate of Constantinople will announce the date of the Ukrainian union council next month, according to a communiqué posted on the Patriarchate’s website today.
The message reads:
In preparation for the meeting of the Holy and Sacred Synod from November 27-29, 2018, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople reiterates its sacred decision to grant the Tomos of Autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
While the preparation process for the Holy Council (SOBOR) of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine is underway, a concrete date will be presented within December 2018 for the confirmation and announcement by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Poroshenko, who appealed to Constantinople for a tomos of autocephaly in April, initially expected autocephaly by late July, though it has been continually delayed. Most recently, many sources were reporting that the union council, meant to bring together all the Ukrainian schismatic and canonical hierarchs who support Constantinople’s initiative to create a new church, was to be held on November 22.
Metropolitan Emmanuel of Gaul of the Ecumenical Patriarchate recently arrived in Kiev to help Constantinople’s two Exarch bishops already present there.
Hierarchs of the schismatic “Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church” have repeatedly stated that no progress has been made in preparing for the council.
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