About 30 theologians, intellectuals from Georgia convey greetings to Epiphanius

About 30 theologians and intellectuals from Georgia have conveyed greetings to Metropolitan of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine Epiphanius on the occasion of the receipt of a tomos of autocephaly and enthronement.

A letter of congratulation has been made available to Ukrinform.

"Full of friendly, fraternal or sincere love for Christ [...] we sincerely celebrate the autocephaly of the Holy Orthodox Church of Ukraine and the long-awaited spiritual and administrative independence of the exhausted Ukrainian parishes," reads the letter.

Georgian theologians, "as children of the Georgian Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church," "taking into account professional good conscience," declared that the legal process of granting the tomos to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine had been conducted "in objective precision, in accordance with God-inspired canonical norms, in full preservation of the gospel principles and the rules of the holy fathers."

The signatories of the letter also expressed hope that in the near future the Georgian church will reunite in Eucharistic communion with the Ukrainian church.

The letter was signed by Georgian theologians Giorgi Tiginashvili, Zviad Tsabadze, Lado Narsiya, Beka Mindiashvili, Gocha Barnovi, Guram Lursmanashvili, David Tinikashvili, Lado Tsitlidze, Giorgi Geguchadze, Giorgi Nadirashvili, Dato Nebiyeridze, Nikoloz Gongadze, Vano Shoshiashvili, Sandro Khadzhaliya, Besarion Liparteliani, Vladimer Chikobava, Sergei Shoniya, Levan Zivzivadze, Mikheil Papashvili, Irakli Kikacheishvili, teacher of theological subjects Otar Skhidadze, master of Christian philosophy Besik Mashava, student of the fourth year of study at Tbilisi Spiritual Seminary Rati Biginashvili, analyst Gocha Mirtskhulava, political scientist Bakar Nadaraya, art expert Rostom Kachakhidze, and church parishioner Irina Dzadzamiya.

On January 5, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew signed a tomos of autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. On January 6, the Patriarchal Church of St. George in Istanbul hosted a tomos handover ceremony and a divine liturgy that was concelebrated by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine Epiphanius. Subsequently, the tomos was signed all members of the Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

The ceremony of enthronement of Head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine Epiphanius took place at Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv on February 3, and it completed all the procedures that affirm the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

Following the enthronement of Metropolitan Epiphanius, the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine is to hold its first meeting. The Synod must finally agree on, approve and appoint responsible positions and synodal administrations that will act in the future for the development of the single local Orthodox Church.