Poroshenko holds a phone conversation with the Ecumenical Patriarch

This is reported by Pryamyy.

The Patriarch congratulated the fifth President on the anniversary of the Unification Council and stressed that the council was an important milestone for the process of creating the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine. Patriarch Bartholomew stressed the crucial role of Petro Poroshenko for the unification of the OCU and efforts in the process of establishing the local Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

“It was you who inspired the courage to do this,” Bartholomew said.

Petro Poroshenko thanked the Ecumenical Patriarch for the Tomos of autocephaly, as well as for the great care and support of the eternal aspirations of the Ukrainian people to find their own independent Church.

Petro Poroshenko and the Ecumenical Patriarch also discussed further steps for the development of the OCU. The Ecumenical Patriarch invited the fifth president to visit his Phanar residence in the New Year.

On December 15, 2018, the Unification Council of Ukrainian Orthodox Churches was held in Kyiv, during which the establishment of the independent Orthodox Church in Ukraine was announced. Metropolitan Epifaniy was elected its Primate.