Ecumenical Patriarchate Holds First Service in Ukraine

The Unification Council, which saw representatives from the Ukrainian Orthodox churches elect a head for the new independent Church was not the only important event in Church history that occurred this week.

On December 13, Archbishop Daniil and Metropolitan Emmanuel of France, who also chaired the Unification Council, performed the first service of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Ukraine. This took place at Kyiv’s eighteenth century St. Andrews church, which was transferred to the Ecumencical Patriarchate on October 18, 2018, by the Ukrainian parliament. It had previously belonged to the Ukrainian Autocephalous Church.

The church is currently under reconstruction, which is due to end in 2020. However, the scaffolding did not deter the crowds of faithful churchgoers. Hromadske was there to find out what happened at this historic debut mass.

/By Sofia Fedeczko