[NRx]

I had generally assumed that Moscow would not formally sever communion with the EP until he issued his tomos. Given this brazen assault on their canonical territory and rights though, Moscow may have little choice at this point.

#BlackBart-notmypope.

[jwesleybush]

This is fantastic news! The Ukrainians, and the Ukrainian Orthodox, have suffered enough abuse and tyranny at Russian hands. The Russian patriarch is less a religious leader, and more a political stooge of Putin.

So glad to see this finally resolved. And kudos to Constantinople for making the right call, despite Russian pressure and financial blackmail.

[Mount Athos]

Yeah, it’s not even debatable from my point of view, the orthodox have been down this road before with Photios and there are reams of councils explicitly forbiding what the EP just did unilaterally.
In an odd way it’s a good thing that what he did was so blatantly against the canons

[lightman]

Orthodox Ping!

O heavenly King, O Comforter, the Spirit of Truth
who are in all places and fillest all things:
Treasury of good things and Giver of life:
Come and dwell in us and cleanse us from every stain,
and save our souls, O good One.

[Cronos]

I think this is tricky -- the Autocephalous churches in the Orthodox Church have been based on separate countries - so political separation. Since the Ukraine is a separate country, it should have its own Patriarch of Metropolitan as long as they remain true to the orthodox faith.

I don't see the Ukrainians having suffered spiritually or religiously under the Russians or the Russian patriarch, but just as the Serbs have their own Patriarch and autocephalous church, why not the Ukrainians?

Seriously - since the various churchs remain true to the orthodox faith and are only split by political countries, why not a separate ukrainian autocephalous church

NRx you talk of Patriarch Theodore II -- he's in charge of another enclave in Alexandria of 50K people -- whereas 95% of Egyptians Christians are under the Coptic Pope

you also have the Orthodox Church of Poland -- again a Political creation, created by the Patriarch of Constantinople and he HAD a point

I really don't see how you can agree to having separate autocephalous Orthodox churchs of Serbia, Poland etc. and not grant an autocephalous church of Ukraine