Glory to Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Glory to Ukraine! – President Poroshenko at Metropolitan Epifaniy’s enthronement
After the end of the enthronement ceremony of the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Epifaniy in St Sofia, Kyiv, Petro Poroshenko addressed the audience with speeches, emphasizing that more than a hundred metropolitans had been elevated to the Kyivan throne, but Epifaniy was the first head of the canonical autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine in its history.
“The enthronement of Metropolitan Epiphany in these thousand-year-old walls of St Sofia of Kyiv means that the Church and the Orthodox Ukrainian people have received a new leader. Great hopes of many people are now vested in you. I believe that these hopes will surely be fulfilled, that you will lead the Orthodox community along the path of goodness, love, faith and mercy. I pray that the Lord may be with you in this great mission you have assumed. Accept my congratulations on your elevation to the throne of Kyiv,” the President said to Metropolitan Epifany.
Petro Poroshenko congratulated him on the occasion of the 40th anniversary and expressed his joy that the new Church had received a young leader. The President wished the Metropolitan that God may grant him power, wisdom, support and His blessings.
On this solemn day, Petro Poroshenko reminded of the great Ukrainians on the Kyiv throne, starting from Hilarion and Petro Mohyla to Vasyl Lypkivsky, Mstyslav Skrypnyk, and Volodymyr Romanyuk, whose prayers and tireless work brought this festive day closer.
The President expressed words of respect and gratitude to the honorable Patriarch Filaret, who had done a lot for the establishment of the autocephalous Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
The Head of State thanked the Ukrainian people for the prayer for the Ukrainian autocephalous Church, Patriarch Bartholomew – for supporting the centuries-old desire of the Ukrainian people to have a local Church, for his faith in Ukraine and his people, for his love for Ukraine, Metropolitan Emanuel of France – for his huge role in joint work on the recognition of Ukrainian Orthodoxy.
The President thanked everyone who made this day possible.
On a separate note, Petro Poroshenko expressed gratitude to Patriarch Svyatoslav of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and representatives of other Christian denominations of Ukraine for attendance at the ceremony.
The Head of State once again stressed that the new Church is and will be independent from the state, assuring that there will be no state church in Ukraine:
“There will be no state church in Ukraine. This constitutional principle has always been and will remain immutable. I am convinced that independence and mutual respect open the way to real partnership between the state and the Church, to our common work for the good of the country and the people. I propose an equal and responsible partnership in the country's chosen path. We have a very broad field for cooperation!”
