WEB DESK
Ukraine’s Orthodox Church is all set to break away from Russia. The move could fuel tensions between the 2 countries.
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople said in a statement on Thursday that it endorses Ukraine’s request for independence from the Russian Orthodox Church.
The patriarchate, based in Istanbul, Turkey, is headed by Bartholomew I, who is considered the “first among equals” in Orthodox church leaders.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko hailed the move, calling it a victory of good over evil, light over darkness. He said the decision “finally dispelled the imperial illusions and chauvinistic fantasies of Moscow.”
The Russian Orthodox Church said Constantinople is “crossing a red line and catastrophically undermines the unity of global Orthodoxy.”
Relations between Russia and Ukraine have plunged over Russia’s annexation of Crimea 4 years ago, and Moscow’s support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of #Constantinople, the spiritual leadership of the global #Orthodox Church, has allowed Ukraine to form its own national church that does no longer fall under Moscow, thus freeing Ukrainian Orthodox Christians from Russian influence. pic.twitter.com/3qthzKfYud
— PanEuropeanMovement (@EuropeanPan) October 11, 2018