Georgian Patriarchate Hosts Moscow-led Ukrainian Church Bishop

Ilia II, the Georgian Orthodox Church Patriarch, and his locum tenens, Metropolitan Shio (Mujiri) hosted on June 7 the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (of the Moscow Patriarchate) delegation led by Bishop Antony.

According to the Georgian Orthodox Church Patriarchate’s report, “the meeting was held in a brotherly and warm” atmosphere, where Bishop Anton talked about the situation in “the Ukrainian Orthodoxy.”

The sides discussed the prospects of further cooperation between the Georgian and Ukrainian Orthodox Churches, added the Georgian Patriarchate’s report.

Ukraine’s Orthodox communities are largely split between the Moscow and Kyiv-led Patriarchates. The latter was established as the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I signed tomos (decree) over the new, independent Ukrainian Church in January 2019, in a move that angered Moscow and led the Russian Church to sever its ties with Constantinople.

The Georgian Orthodox Church has taken a cautious stance over the ecclesiastical developments in Ukraine, with the Georgian Patriarchate so far refraining to recognize autocephaly (independence) of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from the Russian Patriarchate.

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