NEW UKRAINIAN CHURCH CANNOT FOR NOW BECOME PATRIARCHATE—EPIFANY
Interfax-Religiia, 30 December 2018
The Orthodox Church of Ukraine (PTsU) will be able in the future to receive the status of a patriarchate, after it goes through the stage of formation and recognition of its autocephaly by other local orthodox churches, the head of the PTsU, Epifany Dumenko, declared.
"Of course, at the first stage of formation of our independent church, we will have metropolitanate status. This also is like a definite condition through which all other local Orthodox churches passed. Almost none of the local churches received patriarchate status immediately," he said in an interview with the television channel Priamoi.
At the same time, Epifany thinks that in time the PTsU will receive elevation to the status.
"Possibly now is not the time for this status. But when we become a large, strong, united church in Ukraine, this will be a matter of time. But now we should go through the stage of formation and recognition of our autocephalous status by other local Orthodox churches," he said.
Epifany also emphasized that already at this stage, autocephalous status makes the PTsU independent and equal with other local churches, and it will not be limited in its rights. (tr. by PDS, posted 31 December 2018)
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