Greece's Holy Synod recognizes autonomy of Orthodox Church of Ukraine

The Holy Synod of the Church of Greece has recognized the autonomy of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan Epiphanius has said.
"I am grateful to my Brother in Christ, His Beatitude Ieronymos, Archbishop of Athens and all Greece, President of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece, and Brother Hierarchs of the Council of Hierarchs, for today determining to support and follow the canonical and historical decisions of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, opening the possibility of full interaction between our two Local Autocephalous Churches in all spheres," Epiphanius wrote on Facebook.

The primate added that the histories of our two ancient nations, Greece and Ukraine, included many shared pages of friendship and cooperation. "The establishment of full Eucharistic unity and official relations between the Local Churches of Greece and Ukraine is a new page that will forever be bound in our history and in our hearts," he noted.

Metropolitan Epiphanius expressed hope that in the near future he will be able to visit Athens and personally convey our feelings of love and respect to His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos, Brother Hierarchs, and the entire Church of Greece.

On January 5, 2019, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew signed a tomos of autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. On January 6, the Patriarchal Church of St. George in Istanbul hosted a tomos handover ceremony and a divine liturgy that was concelebrated by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine Epiphanius.