Granting Autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine

Background

The granting of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine was a process initiated in response to appeals from various Ukrainian Orthodox groups and authorities, including the state government of Ukraine. The Patriarchate of Constantinople took these actions in 2016 and 2018, despite opposition from the Moscow Patriarchate.

History

Since 1921, the Ukrainian Exarchate of the Moscow Patriarchate operated on the territory of the Ukrainian SSR. However, this arrangement was challenged by the non-canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, as well as at least one bishop from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate).

Recognition of Canonical Territory

The Patriarchate of Constantinople recognized that the Russian Patriarchal Act of 1686, which granted Moscow the right to ordain bishops in Kiev, was a violation of canonical territory. This act had given Moscow control over the Kyiv Metropolis, which is considered part of Constantinople's canonical territory.

Granting Autocephaly

On January 6, 2019, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine received a Tomos from the Patriarchate of Constantinople, granting it autocephaly. This move was seen as a response to the appeals from Ukrainian authorities and churches, as well as an attempt to address the consequences of the impact of Ukrainian law on the church.

Reaction

The Moscow Patriarchate condemned these actions and broke off Eucharistic communion with the Patriarchate of Constantinople on October 15, 2018. The move was seen as a significant development in the ongoing dispute between the two churches over canonical territory and authority.

Note: I've kept the original text intact while removing any redundant or conflicting information. I've also restructured the article to follow a logical flow and used Markdown headings for better organization.