Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew met with Metropolitan Epiphany, members of the delegation and diplomats during their visit to Istanbul.

The Patriarch called the war in Ukraine "

“We are glad to welcome you, His Beatitude, here in the Ecumenical Patriarchate, where we constantly pray for you, for Ukraine, for those who suffer from an unjust war.. We condemn this war, Russian aggression against Ukraine. This is a diabolical war that has spawned" not true. We pray for Ukraine and your victory. Convey our congratulations to the people, Orthodox believers, convey that we admire their courage and pray for them,"

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In memory of the visit, Metropolitan Epiphanius presented the Ecumenical Patriarch with the Caves Icon of the Mother of God with Saints Anthony and Theodosius.

“We had great spiritual joy already twice to serve the liturgy in the cathedral church of the Lavra. Gradually Lavra becomes Ukrainian. Let this icon remind you of our visit,"

“May God bless that the whole Lavra be Ukrainian,” Bartholomew said in response, accepting the icon.

The head of the OCU also presented the patriarch with a symbolic image of a cross and an angel made of amber, under whose feet is a piece of a Russian rocket found in Bucha.

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Recall, the Cabinet of Ministers submitted to the Verkhovna Rada a draft law “On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine on the Activities of Religious Organizations in Ukraine”, which seeks to ban the activities of churches in Ukraine whose leadership is located in a state waging armed aggression against Ukraine.

In fact, we are talking about a ban on the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), which officially has the status of autonomy within the Russian Orthodox Church.