On January 5, 2019, in Istanbul, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew signed the Tomos of Autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. This document officially approved the independent status of the OCU as one of the 15 local Orthodox Churches in the world.
The signing ceremony took place in the Church of St. George on the territory of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Bukvy reports.
According to the Head of the OCU, Epifaniy, on the evening of the same day, January 6, 2019, they brought the Tomos to Kyiv.
“Back then in Ukraine, it was Christmas Eve, and I compared this event to a guiding star that illuminated the path of the spiritual independence of our Church. Now, January 5 and 6 are marked by the Feast of the Epiphany, as it was in Constantinople. Calendar-wise, we are together with our Mother Church and the majority of the Local Churches,” said the hierarch.
The Tomos is a unique patriarchal letter, which is issued only once and becomes the basis of the church's existence.
The document, drawn up in calligraphy on parchment, was created by Hieromonk Luke with the blessing of Archimandrite Alexy, hegumen of the Xenophontos Monastery on Mount Athos. Its text is in line with the OCU charter, which was developed on the basis of the same document.