Receiving a Tomos of Autocephaly, or, to put it simply, the Ecumenical Patriarchate granting the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) its independence, has been one of the biggest events of the year. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has been the driving force behind it. It was through his efforts that the fate of the UOC was transformed from an internal church issue into a matter of national security and a factor of the upcoming presidential elections.
Hromadske: How President Poroshenko secured church independence for Ukraine
Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko (L) gives a speech on the stage at Sofiivska Square after Epiphanius, Metropolitan of Pereyaslav and Bila Tserkva (R), was announced as the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church on Dec. 15, 2018.
