ISTANBUL, Turkey | To support Ukraine “not only with words but with concrete actions,” Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, the Patriarchal Commissioner, urged the international community during the Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Church of St. George in the Phanar on Sunday, marking the 34th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence.
Metropolitan Emmanuel said the independence anniversary was not only a moment of joy but also an opportunity for prayer, solidarity, and hope.
“Our thoughts and prayers, especially those of the Ecumenical Patriarch, are with the long-suffering Ukrainian people, who endure the consequences of an unjust and barbaric invasion of their homeland,” he stressed.
He underlined the constant concern of the Church of Constantinople for developments in Ukraine and recalled that Patriarch Bartholomew has repeatedly expressed the wish for an end to the war and the restoration of peace.
Referring to the granting of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan Emmanuel said it was not a circumstantial act but the result of deep pastoral concern for the spiritual life of millions of believers — “a clear sign that the Church listens to the struggles of her children.”
He added that this same concern is now expressed through the Church’s unwavering stance against the Russian military assault and its demand for respect of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
The metropolitan praised the efforts of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, describing them as “extremely important,” and emphasized that the international community must stand by Ukraine in this just struggle “not only with words but with concrete actions.”
At the Phanar liturgy, presided over by Metropolitan Emmanuel, Ukraine’s new ambassador to Turkey Nariman Dzhelyalov was present, along with Consul General Roman Nedilskyi, members of the consulate staff, and many Ukrainians living in Istanbul. Immediately afterward, the Patriarchal Commissioner received the ambassador in audience, accompanied by the consul general and his aides.
