Eastern Christianity

The autonomy status granted to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church by Istanbul's Fener Greek Orthodox Church has caused a dispute between Fener and Moscow Orthodox Patriarchate.

The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople on Sunday presented a decree of independence to the head of the nascent Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

In Istanbul, Patriarch Bartholomew I presented the Tomos, a scroll containing the decree, in a symbolic ceremony sanctifying the Ukrainian church's independence from the Russian Orthodox Church. He signed the decree a day earlier.

The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople has signed a decree of independence for the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

Ukraine's president Petro Poroshenko meets with Patriarch Bartholomew at the Fener Greek Patriarchate in Istanbul on Nov. 3.

Ukraine chose the head of a new national Orthodox church on Dec. 15, marking an historic split from Russia which its leaders see as vital to the country's security and independence.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate told Sputnik that it does not take part in the efforts of Kiev's authorities and non-canonical Orthodox organizations to establish a single independent church in the country or the so-called Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, according to Sputnik. 

Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko and the Istanbul-based Orthodox Patriarch Dimitri Bartholomew on Nov. 3 signed an accord that paves the way for the recognition of an independent Ukrainian church, provoking new fury in Moscow.

Russian Patriarch Kirill presented President Igor Dodon with a Russian religious order on Wednesday on the first day of the Moldovan leader's official visit to Moscow.

"His Holiness gave me the Order of St. Sergius de Radonezh, in the second degree, for the active support shown for the public initiatives of the Orthodox Church in Moldova," Dodon wrote on Facebook.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Monday awarding the head of the Moldovan Church, Metropolitan Vladimir, Russia's Order of Friendship.

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church on Oct. 5 turned down a call by the Russian Patriarch to hold talks to discuss a bid by the Ukrainian church to break away from Moscow's orbit.