Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv and All Ukraine marked the seventh anniversary of the granting of the Tomos of autocephaly with a reflective message on social media, highlighting the event as a decisive milestone in the modern spiritual history of Ukraine.
“Seven years ago, a step was taken that defined a new stage in the spiritual life of Ukraine,” Metropolitan Epifaniy wrote, recalling the historic moment when the signature of Bartholomew, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, on the Tomos officially affirmed the restoration of the Church’s dignity after centuries of dependence and even hostile subjugation. He described that moment as one of deep inner emotion and joy, when “historical justice began to take concrete form.”
According to the Metropolitan, the Tomos became a clear sign of the maturity of Ukrainian Orthodoxy and its readiness to assume responsibility for its own path. “The Ukrainian Church received not only proper canonical recognition,” he noted, “but also new inspiration and new opportunities to be especially open to its people, to speak with them in a shared language of faith, hope, and love.”
Metropolitan Epifaniy also underlined the symbolic timing of the event, which took place on the eve of Christmas. Just as the Nativity reveals the truth of God to the world, the granting of the Tomos marked for the Orthodox Church of Ukraine the beginning of a new era of ministry “in freedom, unity, and responsibility before God and the people.”
Reflecting on the anniversary today, he emphasized that the Tomos is not merely a memory of the past but a guide for the future. It points, he said, to “the path of an independent Church that walks together with its people, preserving faith and hope for future generations.”
On the occasion of the seventh anniversary, Metropolitan Epifaniy arrived at the Ecumenical Patriarchate together with a delegation of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. There, through communion, prayer, and concelebration of the Holy Eucharist, they once again expressed gratitude to God, thanksgiving to the Mother Church, and personal appreciation to His All-Holiness for the blessings received through the establishment of a free and autocephalous Local Church.
“In these festive days,” he concluded, “here in Constantinople, the sacred center of Orthodoxy, we pray for the victory of truth and peace for Ukraine and for the strengthening of the one Local Church. God bless.”
