The religious scholar and head of the Department for religions, ensuring the rights of citizens to freedom of worldview and religion of the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine called the appointment of Metropolitan Emmanuel to See of Chalcedon an excellent sign for Ukraine.
He wrote about this on his Facebook page, commenting on today's ceremony of Ascension of Metropolitan Emmanuel to the See of Chalcedon.
"Today is an important day: both for the Ukrainian Church, and for the Mother Church-the Patriarchate of Constantinople, and for the entire world Orthodoxy:
the second most important department in the Patriarchate of Constantinople – the Archdiocese of Chalcedon – will be occupied by Metropolitan Emmanuel (Adamakis), who until then was the head of the Metropolia of France," Yurash wrote.
According to him, for Ukraine, it is a wonderful sign and even a gift from heaven.
"Our sincere and close friend, Metropolitan Emmanuel, who has played a key and critical role in all the processes of institutionalization of the local Ukrainian Church in recent years, tomorrow will be enthroned not just to the most important position in his church, but will embrace the cathedral, which for the whole Christian world symbolizes the most intensive flourishing of the tradition and theology of the Church of Christ, since it was here, in ancient chalcedony, that the 4th Ecumenical Council of 451 was held," the religious scholar stressed.
Andriy Yurash conveyed his congratulations to the second hierarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
The "Ukrainian dawn" of a new modern and promising era in the history of the Patriarchate of Constantinople is becoming brighter, more convincing and more obvious! Especially given not only the nomination of Metropolitan Emmanuel to the post fo the Elder Metropolitan, as discussed above, but also two other significant and also very important appointments at the Phanar," Yurash wrote, recalling that the former Second Secretary of the Holy and Holy Synod of the Church of Constantinople, Grigory (Fragakis), who also participated in all the missions of the Mother Church, which aimed to promote and at all levels the process of establishing the canonical Ukrainian Church, a few days ago became General Secretary of the Synod.
The religious scholar also recalled that less than a month ago, on February 24, a Canadian of Ukrainian origin, Yakiv Krochak, was ordained tas a presbyter and was nominated for the extremely honorable position of the Great Sinkel of the Universal Church of Christ.
"Ukraine is not only inspired by examples of sacrificial service to the church but also inspires itself to such sincere and high service!" Commented Andriy Yurash.