Ecumenical Patriarch met former Ukrainian President in the Phanar
Former President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, who is currently on a visit to Constantinople, visited the Mother Church on Saturday, December 18, at noon to send his Christmas wishes to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
The meeting was also attended by Elder Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon.
The former president then attended the luncheon and so the participants had the opportunity to continue their discussion on various issues of common interest.
In the afternoon of the same day, after having presided over the Vespers, the Ecumenical Patriarch received Ruslan Martsinkiv, Mayor of Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, along with his family, the priest of the Church of the Holy Spirit, Fr. Vassilios, and executives of the municipality.
Martskinv announced to the Ecumenical Patriarch the recent decision of the Ivano-Frankivsk City Council, by which he was declared an honorary citizen, and handed him the relevant document and other souvenirs.
In his reply, the Ecumenical Patriarch thanked the mayor, the Municipal Council, and the citizens of Ivano-Frankivsk for the honor and feelings of love and respect for the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Ecumenical Patriarch himself, and asked Martsinkiv to convey to all his paternal wish and the blessings of the Mother Church of Constantinople.
Source: orthodoxtimes.com
