IN HIS GREETINGS FOR ANNIVERSARY OF BAPTISM OF RUS, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT URGES CONSTANTINOPLE PATRIARCHATE TO RECOGNIZE AUTOCEPHALY OF UKRAINIAN CHURCH
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko posted on 28 July in his blog greetings for the Day of the Baptism of Rus, and he advocated the recognition of the autocephaly of the Ukrainian church, TV channel "112-Ukraina" reports.
"Vladimir the Great 1029 years ago made a fateful decision—to baptize Rus-Ukraine. He accepted the Christian faith from the Constantinople Church, which for us even now is the Mother Church. It is from her that we await recognition of the autocephaly of the Ukrainian church, equal to the other local Orthodox churches. Of course, spiritually and administrative independent from Moscow and from the aggressor country. The choice of the Christian faith by Prince Vladimir also was a European choice," Poroshenko declared.
Two days in a row there occurred in the center of Kiev processions of the cross and prayer services devoted to the anniversary of the Baptism of Rus: on 27 July the UPTsMP conducted them, and on 28 July, the UPTsKP. Several streets in the center of the city were closed. (tr. by PDS, posted 29 July)
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