Eastern Orthodox Church

Amid mounting tensions with the Russian Orthodox Church, the Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarchate is preparing to formally grant independence to the Church of Ukraine from Moscow in an Epiphany Day ceremony.

More specifically, Patriarch Vartholomaios will on Sunday give the tomos - the formal decree of autocephaly - to Metropolitan Epiphanius in Istanbul.

The gold of good deeds epitomises the greatest offering brought to the Christ Child, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church (BOR), Daniel, affirmed in his Christmas sermon at the Holy Mass officiated at the Patriarchal Cathedral.

Five days before Christmas on December 20 the Bulgarian Orthodox Church honors Saint Ignatius the God-bearer (Saint Ignatius of Antioch), quoted by the Bulgarian National Radio. 

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.

Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomaios on Thursday criticized as "unacceptable" a decision by the Russian Orthodox Church to sever eucharistic communication with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.

Alba Iulia, Dec 1 /Agerpres/ - The Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Daniel, stated on Saturday in Alba Iulia, that the Great Union of 1918 is the 'celebration of freedom, unity and dignity of the Romanian people' and that all of Romania's citizens have the duty to keep and cultivate 'not only the gift of freedom, but that of national unity'.

Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomaios has defended the decision to grant independence to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine from the Russian Church, which has upset relations with the Moscow Patriarchate.

Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church (BOR) voiced his hope on Sunday that, three years from now, the mosaic painting of the People's Salvation Cathedral be sanctified, whose Altar was consecrated in the presence of His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Patra and members of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

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.