By Koz Telegram

It is logical that we as the Mother Church want to restore the unity of the divided Church body in Ukraine, said the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Constantinople said that there was no canonical territory of Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) does not exist in Ukraine that Moscow in 1686 annexed the Ukrainian Church uncanonically and took more than allowed.

 Now the Ecumenical Patriarch must arrange. About this stated in the information Bulletin of the press service of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the text of which published the press Secretary of the UOC-Kyiv Patriarchate yevstratii Zoria on his page in Facebook.

In a speech after the Memorial service for the 40th day, the deceased Metropolitan of Perga Angelom, which was served by bishops of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, says: “During his speech in the throne room, after the Memorial service for the 40th day, the deceased Metropolitan of Perga Angelom that took place today, Sunday, July 1, 2018, in the Patriarchal Church at the Phanar, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew said of his continued concern/interest in resolving/treating the Ukrainian Church issue and the restoration of the unity of the divided Church body in the country. His Holiness recalled that the Church of Constantinople always cared and solved many complex religious issues in favor of the people of God and the preservation of pan-Orthodox unity, and today is struggling for a final settlement of Church Affairs in Ukraine.”

In particular, referring to the person and work of the deceased hierarchs of the Ecumenical Throne, Patriarch said that “Metropolitan Angel, working as a member of several Synod Committees on various issues, always leaving the criteria of history, of canons and logic”.

“Today, if he were among us, he would help in the current problem and important settlement of the Ukrainian Church issue, because it is logical, and we wish, as the Mother Church, the restoration of unity in Ukraine, a divided Church bodies – tens of millions of believers, baptized and nobles direct care and missionary activity of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. In addition, in the past, the Church of Constantinople, acting in the framework of the canons and pastoral care, solved difficult and complex ecclesiastical issues, always guided by the interests of the people of God and the preservation of pan-Orthodox unity. Suffice it to recall the recent participation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in solving the problems that were in the Churches of Cyprus, Jerusalem, Albania and the like. So of Constantinople the Great and Holy Church of Christ operates in the spirit of true love, is struggling today for a final decision of Church Affairs in Ukraine,” stressed the Ecumenical Patriarch.

His Holiness recalled the spiritual and canonical rights of the Ecumenical Patriarchate on Ukraine: 
“Let it not be forgotten that Constantinople never gave permission to transfer the territory of Ukraine to anyone, except the right of ordination of the Metropolitan of Kiev in Moscow on the terms of his election Cathedral in Kiev, the local Council and in strict reference to the Ecumenical Patriarch. It is stated in the Tomos of autocephaly that the Mother Church gave the Polish Church: Our Throne did not recognize the Kiev office of Metropol and dependent Orthodox Churches of Lithuania and Poland, and their accession to the Moscow Church, which was exercised against the canons and was not respected the rights of the Metropolitan of Kiev, who bore the title of Exarch of the Ecumenical Throne.”

As a result, the Ecumenical Patriarch again referred to the late Metropolitan of Perga Angela, saying that everyone will remember about spiritual work and the love he showed to each person. Attended Archbishop Sinaiski, Paransky and Rafsky Damian, Selenskogo hierarchs of the Patriarchate, the relatives of the deceased Metropolitan of Perga, archons, clergy, community members and pilgrims from abroad.

As reported 5.UA on 19 April 2018, the Verkhovna Rada voted for the appeal about the establishment in Ukraine of a Single Local Church. Rada supported the presidential address to the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on the establishment of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Church. The document in the session hall, presented by the President himself. It is also known that on April 22 the Ecumenical Patriarchate began the procedure for granting autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine.