Metropolitan Epifaniy of OCU to be conferred Patriarch Athenagoras Award in US

The Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan Epifaniy (Dumenko), will receive the Patriarch Athenagoras Award in the field of human rights. It is reported by UATV that cited orthodoxie.com.

The award was named after one of the recognized Church leaders of the 20th century, Patriarch Athenagoras I. It is awarded by the Order of St. Andrew /Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in America.

Archbishop Elpidophoros of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the United States said that the head of the OCU “was a strong supporter of religious freedom of Constantinople”.

“In Ukraine, Epifaniy demonstrated the wisdom worthy of Solomon, which was required for the reunification of the Church back to its Eucharistic unity,” said Elpidophoros.

According to him, it was thanks to Metropolitan Epiphanius that the OCU became an integral member of the group of Autocephalous Orthodox Churches around the world.