BARTHOLOMEW TO HAND OVER TOMOS TO ELECTED HEAD OF LOCAL CHURCH OF UKRAINE ON 6 JANUARY—KIEV PATRIARCHATE
Interfax-Religiia, 13 December 2018
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will deliver the tomos concerning autocephaly personally to the elected primate of the unified Orthodox church in Ukraine on 6 January 2019, the head of the information department of the UPTsKP, Evstraty Zoria stated, who is quoted by BBC-Ukraine.
He noted that on 6 January in Constantinople "the divine liturgy should be performed jointly with the ecumenical patriarch and the primate (of the local church), and after this the tomos will be handed over.
Speaking about the unification council, E. Zoria noted that hierarchs of the UPTsKP will come to the forum on 15 December. Each will bring with him two persons: one cleric and one monk or layman.
He said the UPTsKP will present at the council its own candidate for the leadership of the local church. "We have the only suggestion for a candidacy, which will be presented to the council," the representative of the Kiev patriarchate said. He noted that the voting at the council will be secret.
Archbishop Evstraty also reported that the commission of representatives of Orthodox churches of Ukraine, which is conducting the preparation for the unification council, has reviewed the draft of the charter of the future local church.
"We acted on the draft of the charter that was suggested by the Synod of the ecumenical patriarchate. We debated, several things were kept, some things were changed, and several were thrown out," the press secretary of the UPTsKP said. (tr. by PDS, posted 13 December 2018)
UPTsKP BISHOPS' COUNCIL PUBLISHES ITS FIRST DECISION, ON FORMAT OF PARTICIPATION IN UNIFICATION COUNCIL ON 15 DECEMBER
The Bishops' Council of the UPTsKP, in which more than 40 persons participated, was held on 13 December in the patriarchal residence of this church in Kiev. As the press center of the Kiev patriarchate reported, the council made a decision, in accordance with the blessing of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, to send to the unification council of the autocephalous church in Ukraine on 15 December the entire episcopate of the UPTsKP and representatives of the clergy, monastics, and laity from each of its dioceses.
As a portal Credo.Press correspondent managed to clarify, the central point of the agenda of the Bishops' Council was the nomination at the unification council of a candidate for the post of primate of the autocephalous church. The main candidate may be the patriarchal vicar of the UPTsKP, Metropolitan Epifany, although in the event that difficulties arise with confirming this candidacy, Patriarch Filaret himself may be nominated.
According to preliminary information, not all decisions of the council were made unanimously. (tr. by PDS, posted 13 December 2018)
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