Ecumenical Patriarch signs decree granting independence to Orthodox Church of Ukraine

The Ecumenical Patriarch in Istanbul signed a document on Saturday granting independence to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, marking a historic split from Russia which Ukrainian leaders see as vital to the country's security. The decree was signed by Bartholomew I who was attending a service with the head of the Ukrainian church Metropolitan Epifaniy and President Petro Petroshenko at St George's Cathedral within the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul.