Ecumenical Patriarch provides the autocephaly of Ukrainian Church to protect the identity of Orthodoxy

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Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew declares that Ukrainian Church is granted autocephaly on the basis of authentic church and for the sake of truth, the traditions of the church, the defense of the canonical order and the identity of Orthodoxy.
This is stated in the address of Ecumenical Patriarch on the occasion of 85th anniversary of Holodomor posted on the website of Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the USA.

«Like every year, the historic and suffering Mother of Constantinople Church communicates with all of you with a load of hearts, in prayer recalling Holodomor of Ukrainian people, tragic and inhuman event of 1932-1933, when many people died from a deliberate and cruel famine», it is spoken in the address.
Patriarch Bartholomew stressed that «this tragedy speaks for itself, among other cruel acts against humanity and God’s creation, accomplished in the twentieth century, as the most violent tragedy in history is still known».

«Praying for the rest of the souls of the dead and for the healing of this painful wound in the minds of your blessed nation, we remind all people of goodwill that the church does not tolerate injustice or any force aimed at undermining social cohesion», Ecumenical Patriarch stressed.
According to him, Ecumenical Throne cannot remain indifferent when Ukrainian people suffer and are looking for a solution to church problems, «which have been torturing for centuries».

«We intervene because it is our duty — solely on the basis of credibly churchly, worldwide and exclusively from supranational criteria — for the sake of the truth and traditions of the church, protection of the canonical order and the identity of Orthodoxy, always for the creation of the. Being indifferent, we would have remained without justification before God and history body of Christ and not for ourselves and not to demonstrate world power or power», he said.
«This is a great responsibility of the mother church, therefore, just as we provided autocephaly to all local churches, Holy Synod decided to provide the autocephaly of long-suffering Orthodox Church in Ukraine so that it would join the fullness of Orthodoxy in unity and inner world», Ecumenical Patriarch emphasized.

As The «Journalist» reported, Poroshenko invited the rulers of the UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate to dialogue.