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“Constantinople will not interfere in the internal affairs of the Church of Ukraine. It is a completely independent and Autocephalous church,” Patriarch Bartholomew emphasized, inter alia, welcoming Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the Phanar.
President Zelensky, who was accompanied by a large delegation of Presidency officials, the Ambassador of Ukraine to Ankara, Andrii Sybiha, and the Consul General of the country in Constantinople, Oleksandr Gaman, came to the Throne Room where Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was awaiting for him.
A face-to-face meeting followed that lasted more than one hour.
“We, in Constantinople, as we gave you the baptism 1031 years ago, have now given you independence, the ability for your Church to perform its work independently and unaffected by any outside intervention. Constantinople will not interfere in the internal affairs of the Church of Ukraine. It is a completely independent and Autocephalous church. It will only get high protection from here, from Constantinople, from the Phanar, and our continuous prayers for the success of its work,” the Ecumenical Patriarch said when he welcomed the President of Ukraine.
“We send the blessing and love of the Mother Church of Constantinople, to you, Your Excellency, and to all the pious Ukrainian people.”
For his part, President Zelensky expressed his pleasure for his visit to the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
