Patriarch Bartholomew greets Metropolitan Epifaniy with being elected Primate

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in a telephone conversation with the newly elected Metropolitan of Epifaniy of Kyiv greeted him on his election and bestowed his blessing, two sources of the BBC reported.

“Some time ago, Epiphaniy called to Bartholomew to inform about the election and asked for his blessing. The Patriarch blessed him and congratulated him,” the interlocutor said.

Thus, the Ecumenical Patriarchate recognizes the unification council which took place in the capital of Ukraine.

The next step for the final formation of the autocephalous Orthodox Church in Ukraine will be the concelebration of Metropolitan Epifaniy with the Ecumenical Patriarch and the receipt of the Tomos of autocephaly.

This is scheduled to take place in Istanbul on January 6, 2019.