Metropolitan Epifany becomes official leader of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine

2019/2/4 13:16:35

At 40 years of age, Epifany is the youngest metropolitan in the Orthodox world


From RISU*, Feb 3, 2019

 

Today, Feb. 3, 2019 in the Church of St. Sophia in Kyiv, the enthronement of the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan Epifaniy (Dumenko) took place.

 

The official representative of the Ecumenical Patriarch – Metropolitan Emmanuel of France, as well as representatives of the monasteries of Mount Athos, are in Ukraine to attend this solemn event. The bishops of the UOC US, UOC of Canada and the Exarch of Patriarch Bartholomew in Kyiv took part in the enthronement ceremony.

 

In concelebration with priests of the OCU and the Constantinople Patriarchate, Metropolitan Epifaniy celebrated the Divine Liturgy.

 

The ceremony of enthronement took place in the altar part of the church before the Gospel reading.

 

Metropolitan Epiphany was elevated to the throne by a senior hierarch. He was presented with a cross and two panagias – external signs of his primate’s ministry – following which Metropolitan Epiphany officially became the Primate of the OCU.

 

Due to scheduled health-related procedures, Honorary Patriarch Filaret could not take part in the celebrations. The doctors forbade him to leave the hospital, and therefore Bishop Filaret sent his greetings to the Primate.

 

After the Divine Liturgy, Metropolitan Dymytriy (Rudyuk) of Lviv and Sokal and the representative of the Constantinople Patriarchate, Metropolitan Emanuel of France, congratulated the Head of the OCU and presented him with a metropolitan’s crosier.

 

Thereafter, Ukraine President Poroshenko addressed the Head of the OCU, noting that through the enthronement, the Church and Ukraine received a new leader, with whom many people associate their hopes. Poroshenko also mentioned all those who made this solemn day possible: Patriarch Bartholomew and Ukrainian hierarchs Filaret, Makariy, and Simeon.

 

The head of the OCU expressed hope that over time, the Church he heads would receive the status of a Patriarchate and unite all Orthodox Ukrainians.

 

“The doors of our churches are open to everyone,” the Primate emphasized.

 

Representatives of other Ukrainian Churches, in particular Patriarch Svyatoslav (Shevchuk) of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the Chairman of the Conference of the Roman Catholic Bishops Bronislav (Bernatsky), Metropolitan Mecislav Mokrzytski of Lviv, Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine, and representatives of Protestant Churches came to St Sophia to extend greetings to Metropolitan Epifaniy.

 

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and his wife, representatives of government, public organizations, diplomats also attended the Liturgy and the enthronement ceremony.

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*The article above appears through courtesy of the Religious Information Service of Ukraine. Access RISU at http://risu.org.ua/en/index

 

Photo courtesy of the Presidential Press Service

 

 

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