Metropolitan Yurij Meets with Ecumenical Patriarch, Enthroned as First Hierarch of the UOCC

Immediately prior to his enthronement in Winnipeg this past weekend Metropolitan Yurij (Kalistchuk) of Winnipeg, First Hierarch of the autonomous Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada (UOCC), visited Constantinople to meet with Patriarch Bartholomew and the hierarchs of the Holy Synod of the Constantinopolitan Orthodox Church, of which the UOCC is a part. During his time in Turkey Metropolitan Yurij was formally recognized as Metropolitan of Winnipeg and Canada by the Holy Synod. More on this trip here.

Metropolitan Yurij's enthronement in Winnipeg was celebrated by the Greek Orthodox Archbishop Sotirios (Athanassoulas) of Toronto, who serves as the Ecumenical Patriarchate's exarch in Canada despite the larger size and longer history of the UOCC in the country. During the celebrations following the enthronement services the president of the Ukrainian-Canadian Congress called on Metropolitan Yurij and the leaders of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Canada present to lead a push to unite the Ukrainian Orthodox and Catholic Churches in both the Ukraine and the Ukrainian Diaspora into "one Ukrainian Apostolic Church." More on that here.