Dumenko: Patriarch's signature restored our dignity after centuries of slavery
Patriarch Bartholomew signing the Tomos on January 5, 2019. Photo: BBC
On January 5, 2026, on the occasion of the 7th anniversary of the Tomos bestowal, Epifaniy Dumenko arrived in Istanbul. The head of the OCU reported this on his Facebook page.
According to Dumenko, the signature of Patriarch Bartholomew "testified to the restoration of church dignity after long centuries of dependence, even hostile oppression". Serhiy Dumenko also noted that "the Tomos became a sign of the maturity of Ukrainian Orthodoxy".
He stated that he arrived with a delegation in Istanbul to once again express gratitude "personally to His Holiness for the benefits that our local Church has received and continues to receive thanks to the affirmation of its status as free and autocephalous". He added that the OCU in Istanbul intends to request "the affirmation of a single local Church".
Earlier, the UOJ wrote about the upcoming visit of Dumenko to Constantinople.
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