Metropolitan Emmanuel Adamakis of France (EP) (1958- )
Kiev, 21 May 2008 (Interfax):
A meeting took place in the “patriarchal residence” in Kiev between Philaret Denisenko, the self-proclaimed “Patriarch of Kiev and all Rus-Ukraine”, the head of the schismatic “Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate (UOCKP)”, and a delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate consisting of Metropolitan Emmanuel of France, Archimandrite Elpidophoros (the Secretary General of the EP Holy Synod), and Archpriest Vassilios. As reported by the press service of the UOCKP, Mr Denisenko presented to the EP delegation the position of the UOCKP on the various matters of church life in the Ukraine. The EP delegation visited the Ukraine on 19 and 20 May at the invitation of Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko. There was no official invitation for such a visit from the canonical Ukrainian Autonomous Orthodox Church of the MP.
Also taking part in the meeting of the Ukrainian schismatics with the EP delegation were “Archbishop of Khmelnitsky” Dmitri Rudyuk (rector of the “Kiev Theological Academy of the UOCKP”), “Archimandrite” Epifany (“secretary of the patriarch”), and “Archimandrite” Evstrat Zorya (press secretary of the UOCKP). Also present were the laymen Yuri Bogutsky, the deputy head of the secretariat of the Ukrainian president, Andrei Tkachuk, the executive of the secretariat, and Pyotr Yushchenko, people’s deputy of the Ukraine. “Patriarch” Philaret stated during the meeting, “We are ready for any dialogue that shall lead to formation of a united and autocephalous Local Orthodox Church in the Ukraine”. In response, Metropolitan Emmanuel stated that the purpose of the visit of the EP delegation was to acquaint the EP with the life and problems of the Ukrainian Church from first-hand observation. He said that the EP follows the events in Ukrainian church life attentively, and it attempts “as its Mother Church” to help to solve its problems. The meeting closed with a mutual exchange of gifts and with the hope that the problems now existing in Ukrainian church life could find a constructive solution.
Interfax-Religion
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