Poroshenko signs law on granting of use of St. Andrew’s Church by Ecumenical Patriarchate

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has signed draft law No. 9208 approved by the Verkhovna Rada “On the peculiarities of using St. Andrew’s Church of the National Reserve” St. Sophia of Kyiv,” providing for the transfer of St. Andrew’s Church in Kyiv to the use of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to house its Stavropegia (representative office).

A bill submitted by the head of state to parliament, as urgent, on October 17 and approved by 237 votes of parliamentarians on October 18, was returned with the signature of the president on November 7, the website of the Ukrainian parliament said.

As reported, the bill foresees that St. Andrew’s Church (Kyiv, 23 Andriyivsky Descent), which is an object of cultural heritage and a monument of architecture and state property, is transferred to the Ecumenical Patriarchate for permanent use to perform church services, religious ceremonies, and processions.

According to the author, the transfer of the Church of St. Andrew to the use of the Ecumenical Patriarchate will help accelerate the receipt of tomos – recognition of the local Orthodox Church of Ukraine by the World Orthodoxy.

Advisor to the president of Ukraine, Director of the National Institute for Strategic Studies Rostyslav Pavlenko said reconstruction of St. Andrew’s Church in Kyiv, where the representation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Ukraine is to be located, will be accelerated.