On October 1, 2025, following the Divine Liturgy, Metropolitan Epiphaniy of Kyiv and All Ukraine received Archbishop Elia of Helsinki and All Finland, Primate of the autonomous Finnish Orthodox Church under the Ecumenical Patriarchate, at his residence in Kyiv.
Also present at the meeting were Metropolitan Yevstratiy of Bila Tserkva, Deputy Head of the External Church Relations Department of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU); Archpriest Oleksandr Roshchenko, rector of the Joensuu parish in Finland; and Theological Advisor and Secretary to Archbishop Elia, Elisei Heikkilä.
The discussions focused on inter-church relations, the current situation in global Orthodoxy, possible areas of cooperation, support for Ukrainian refugees, and a number of other pressing issues of mutual interest.
Metropolitan Epiphaniy warmly thanked Archbishop Elia and, through him, the entire Finnish Orthodox Church for their consistent support of Ukraine and the OCU in the face of Russian hybrid aggression, as well as for their pastoral care of Ukrainian refugees who have found shelter in Finland.
In response, Archbishop Elia stressed that both the Finnish people and the Finnish Orthodox Church “deeply care and pray for a just peace to come soon to Ukraine,” noting that Finland’s own history has taught it how devastating the consequences of war can be.
