Our news story on the signing of a decree granting autocephaly, or independence, to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine has been updated to include some more reaction to the development. Here's the passage that's been updated:
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko thanked the patriarch "for the courage to make this historic decision" and said it was "a great day" for Ukrainians.
Vladimir Legoida, a Russian Orthodox Church spokesman, denounced the decree as "a document that is the result of irrepressible political and personal ambitions."
It had been "signed in violation of the canons and therefore not possessing any canonical force," Legoida said in a statement on January 5.
"It is a great honor for me to visit Istanbul, where a long-awaited event will take place tomorrow," Poroshenko wrote on Facebook, referring to the official handover of the decree.
Poroshenko predicted that the move will open a "new era in Orthodox history."
"We pray for peace and unity," he added.
Patriarch Bartholomew Signs Decree Granting Independence To Ukrainian Church
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople signed a decree on January 5 granting autocephaly, or independence, to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine, ending more than 330 years of Russian religious control in Ukraine. The ceremony in Istanbul, which is considered the spiritual headquarters of Orthodox Christianity, was attended by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
Here is today's map of the latest situation in the Donbas conflict zone according to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry. (CLICK TO ENLARGE)
