Constantinople's autocephaly plan and the reaction in Kyiv and Moscow
A look back at the Orthodox church dispute as it stood on 12 October 2018, a day after the Ecumenical Patriarchate's announcement.
What did the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople's plan mean for Ukraine's Orthodox believers on 12 October 2018? The question was live that day, after an announcement made on 11 October 2018.
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople said it planned to recognise the autocephaly of two Ukrainian Orthodox Churches. Ukrainian leaders welcomed the move.
The Russian Orthodox Church reacted very differently, denouncing the plan as "catastrophic".
The dispute was already being described as part of the Schism of 2018 and was tied to Russia–Ukraine relations. The divergent reactions in Ukraine and in the Russian Orthodox Church framed the argument that continued after 11 October 2018.
