On Sept. 7, Ukraine inched closer to a globally recognized international church. That day, Constantinople Patriarch Bartholomew I placed Ukraine under the canonical jurisdiction of US Archbishop Daniel of Pamphilon and Canadian Bishop Ilarion of Edmonton who head Ukrainian Orthodox Churches in both countries under Constantinople’s canonical jurisdiction. Since 1685, the Russian Orthodox Church has claimed Ukraine lies within its canonical territory, but no longer. The two appointments are preparation for granting the Orthodox Church in Ukraine autocephaly (independence) from the Russian Orthodox Church.
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Head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate Filaret, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, his wife, Maryna Poroshenko (C) take part in a march during religious processions marking the 1030th anniversary of the Day of Baptism of Kyivan Rus, on July 28, 2018, in Kyiv.