Constantinople should approve decision on tomos for Ukraine on Nov 27-29 - Poroshenko

He said this at a meeting with students of the Kyiv National Trade and Economic University on Friday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"On November 27-29, [presidential advisor] Rostyslav Pavlenko is going to Istanbul (Constantinople) to attend a historic Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, where the decision on the approval of a tomos will be made," Poroshenko said.

He also recalled that the council of a new, autocephalous Ukrainian Orthodox Church would be held in December.

On October 11, the Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate decided to grant a tomos (ordinance) of autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Kyiv now has to convene a council involving the bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate, the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, who turned to the Ecumenical Patriarch with the request to grant the tomos. The council will carry out church unification, form a single local Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and elect its primate. After that, the head of the single local autocephalous Ukrainian Orthodox Church will receive the tomos as a document (letter).

President Petro Poroshenko and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew signed an agreement on cooperation between Ukraine and the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul on November 3.

op