UGCC head, following Filaret, recognizes Constantinople as Mother Church

Head of UGCC Sviatoslav Shevchuk

On July 28, in his address on the occasion of the celebration of the 1030th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus on the Vladimir Hill, the head of the UGCC called the delegation of the Constantinople Patriarchate representatives of "our Mother Church".

Sviatoslav Shevchuk addressed the delegation as "worthy brothers, representatives of our Mother Church, Patriarch Bartholomew".

On July 27, the delegation of the Patriarchate of Constantinople met with President Petro Poroshenko. The message by Patriarch Bartholomew was delivered to the President.

The President thanked Patriarch Bartholomew "for the constant care of the Mother Church for believers of the Ukrainian people". Poroshenko said that Ukraine hopes for a decision to grant the Tomos.

In mid-April, Poroshenko turned to Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople with a request to grant the Tomos on autocephaly to the Church in Ukraine and announced the creation of the Single Local Church. The Verkhovna Rada supported the President’s appeal. The Kiev Patriarchate has already stated that they see their leader Filaret, excommunicated by the canonical Church, in the lead of the SLC.

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