"Unification Council" elects "Metropolitan" Epiphany as head of OCU

"Metropolitan" Epiphany has become the head of the OCU

The “Unification Council” after two rounds of voting has elected "Metropolitan" Epiphany (UOC KP) as the head of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine. 

"Bishop" Epiphany of the UOC KP was elected the head of the autocephalous Church. President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko announced the creation of the "Ukrainian local Orthodox autocephalous church" and introduced the new primate as the “Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine” to the assembled in Sophia’s Square. 

“This day will go down in history as the day of the creation of the autocephalous Orthodox Church in Ukraine <...> This is the day of the creation of the Church as an independent structure. <...> What is this Church like? This is a church without Putin. This is the Church without Kirill, without a prayer for the Russian authorities and the Russian army,” Poroshenko said.

The 39-year-old "Metropolitan" Epiphany of Pereyaslav and Belaya Tserkov is close to the schismatics’ head Filaret and is his vicegerent. Thus, Epiphany will receive the Tomos from Patriarch Bartholomew.

Earlier, the Holy Synod of the UOC decided to consider the "Unification Council" an illegal assembly.

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