02:26Ukraine: 'Spiritual independence' - Poroshenko on creation of independent Ukrainian church
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko addressed the crowds in the Saint Sophia's square in Kiev amid the unification council that was called to create the independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Saturday.
"We cut the chains that bind us to the [Russian] Empire. We return to our path defined by God and go our own way," stressed Poroshenko.
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodoxy, recognised the independence of the breakaway church on October 11.
The church was under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate since 1686.
The Holy Synod, the highest governing body of the Russian Orthodox Church, cut ties with the Constantinople Patriarchate, after it recognised the new self-governing, or autocephalous, Ukrainian Church.
02:26Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko addressed the crowds in the Saint Sophia's square in Kiev amid the unification council that was called to create the independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Saturday.
"We cut the chains that bind us to the [Russian] Empire. We return to our path defined by God and go our own way," stressed Poroshenko.
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodoxy, recognised the independence of the breakaway church on October 11.
The church was under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate since 1686.
The Holy Synod, the highest governing body of the Russian Orthodox Church, cut ties with the Constantinople Patriarchate, after it recognised the new self-governing, or autocephalous, Ukrainian Church.