Ukraine's parliament hands St Andrew's Church to Constantinople
A look back at a decision by the Verkhovna Rada that came days after the Russian Orthodox Church announced a break with the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
What did Ukraine's parliament decide on 18 October 2018? The Verkhovna Rada adopted a decision to transfer St Andrew's Church in Kyiv to the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
The vote came three days after the Russian Orthodox Church announced, on 15 October 2018, that it would break communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. That announcement was a response to plans by the Eastern Orthodox Church to recognise the autocephaly of two Ukrainian Orthodox Churches. Moscow said at the time that it hoped Constantinople would change its mind and so avoid a schism.
As reported then, the break marked an important new aspect in the rift between Russia and Ukraine. The parliamentary decision on St Andrew's Church followed within days, placing a Kyiv church under the Ecumenical Patriarchate while the dispute over Ukrainian church independence was unfolding.
