Constantinople publishes centuries-old documents confirming its canonical and legal jurisdiction in Ukraine

The research also proves Moscow Patriarchate has violated the rules of the Patriarchal and Synodal Act of 1686 of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has substantiated the canonical and legal jurisdiction of his church in Ukraine based on historical facts, referring to centuries-old documents on the relationship between the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Censor.NET reports citing UNIAN.

The Ecumenical Patriarchate responded to the demand of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) to withdraw the exarchs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate from Ukraine, since according to the UOC-MP their appointment had been a gross interference in the internal affairs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the violation of its canonical territory, according to Orthodoxia.info.

In particular, the Ecumenical Patriarchate published archives of church history and specifically the history of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from the time of the baptism of Kievan Rus.

Read more: "We're in the home stretch," - Ukraine's president on granting autonomy to Ukrainian Orthodox Church

The publication is the result of research by Greek and Russian scholars who had access to the original texts of the archives of the Patriarch of Constantinople and his correspondence within many centuries. All arguments of the Ecumenical Patriarchate are based on this study, which refutes all Moscow's accusations against Constantinople of "invading" its canonical dioceses.

The Ecumenical Patriarchate considers it appropriate to recall all the historical and canonical truth about the relationship of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, as evidenced by the official documents, which, unfortunately, are either ignored or deliberately concealed for understandable reasons, the study's preface said.

The document provides an opportunity to trace the whole history of the development of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. In this regard, it is said that with the help of the study, especially thanks to the original correspondence, which is published for the first time, the Ecumenical Patriarchate confirms its canonical and legal jurisdiction in Ukraine.

Moreover, it proves that the Moscow Patriarchate has violated the rules of the Patriarchal and Synodal Act of 1686 of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which the latter had to endure and remain silent, but never forgot and did not forgive.

Read more: "It is time for Ukraine to get autocephaly," - Patriarch Bartholomew

Hierarchs on Sept. 2 held meetings (Synaxis) of the Hierarchy of the Ecumenical Throne Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey) to confirm that the Church of Constantinople is authorized, without the consent of other churches, to grant autonomy, or autocephaly, to a church that has requested it. This paves the way for autocephality of Ukraine's church. Further measures, such as the adoption of documents at the Synod, are expected to be taken in October.

On April 17, 2018, President Poroshenko said Ukraine was closer than ever before to creating an autocephalous united local church.

Pursuant to the instruction of Poroshenko, on April 20, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine Rostyslav Pavlenko visited Istanbul and handed over to His All-Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew the Appeal of the President of Ukraine on granting the Tomos of Autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine.

He also handed over the Verkhovna Rada’s resolution on the support for the President’s Appeal to the Ecumenical Patriarch.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew also received the appeals of the hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox churches on granting the Tomos of Autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine.

The Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople has already begun the procedure needed to grant autocephaly to the new Ukrainian church. The meeting of the Synod, which will address this issue, is scheduled for October.

Recently, as part of preparations for the provision of autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the Ecumenical Patriarchate appointed Archbishop Daniel of Pamphilon from the United States and Bishop Ilarion of Edmonton from Canada as its exarchs in Kyiv.