Ukraine Forms New Unified Orthodox Church

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko addressing several thousand people outside the ancient St. Sophia's Cathedral in Kyiv announced on December 15 in Kyiv that a historic church council has agreed on the creation of an independent Orthodox church for Ukraine. Metropolitan Epifaniy -- a 39-year-old bishop from the Kyiv Patriarchate -- was elected by the council to head the new church. The meeting in the Ukrainian capital was a crucial step in years of efforts to create a church in Ukraine that is independent of Moscow.