Ecumenical Patriarchate appointed exarchs in Kyiv, in autocephaly preparation

The Ecumenical Patriarchate has appointed exarchs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Kyiv, Archbishop Daniel of Pamphilon of the United States and Bishop Ilarion of Edmonton from Canada in the framework of preparation for the provision of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine, Archbishop Yevstraty (Zoria), chairman of the Information Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyiv Patriarchate reports.

“Within the framework of the preparations for the granting of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine, the Ecumenical Patriarchate has appointed as its Exarchs in Kyiv His Excellency Archbishop Daniel of Pamphilon from the United States, and His Grace Bishop Ilarion of Edmonton from Canada, both of whom are serving the Ukrainian Orthodox faithful in their respective countries under the Ecumenical Patriarchate,” wrote the archbishop on his Facebook page on Friday citing the Chief Secretariat of the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

According to the press service of the Kyiv Patriarchate, the UOC-KP welcomes this decision of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and expects fruitful cooperation with the new exarchs.

Already in 2015, the reverend Bishops performed the mission of personal representatives of the Ecumenical Patriarch during the negotiations on the unification of the Orthodox Churches in Ukraine. The hierarchs were also repeatedly delegated by the Ecumenical Patriarch to represent the Mother Church of Constantinople at celebrations in Ukraine, the last time in July this year during the celebration of the 1,030th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus-Ukraine.

The UOC-KP explains that the appointment of the Exarchs does not imply the creation of a new church jurisdiction in the form of the Exarchate. The powers of exarchs in this case can be compared with those of the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador.