25.05.2008, [16:07] // UGCC // RISU.ORG.UA
On May 21, 2008, a delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople came to the Cathedral of Saint George in Lviv. Present members of the group were: Metropolitan of Gaul Emmanuel (Adamakis), representative of the Constantinople Patriarchate to the European Union, Archimandrite Elpidophor (Lambriniadis), general secretary of the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and Proto-presbyter Vasyliy.
The purpose of the visit of the delegation, which is carrying out its visit to Ukraine at the invitation of President Viktor Yushchenko, is to become acquainted with the life of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church and prospects of unity between our Churches.
On behalf of the Most Rev. Ihor (Vozniak), Archbishop of Lviv, members of the delegation were met by: Fr. Orest Fredyna, proto-syncellus of the Lviv Archeparchy, Fr. Volodymyr Ol'shanetskyi, syncellus (chancellor) in matters of the laity, and Fr. Volodymyr Onyskiv, steward of the Lviv Archeparchy.
During the meeting the delegation had the opportunity to become acquainted with the history of Saint George’s Cathedral, to see the crypt of metropolitans and prominent Church figures in the cathedral, where in a special way attention was paid to the figures of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky and Patriarch Josyf Slipyj. "On behalf of His Grace Ihor, Archbishop of Lviv, we thank you for the visit and call you to joint prayer for the unity of Christ’s Church," Proto-presbyter Orest Fredyna addressed the members of the delegation. To this, Metropolitan Emmanuel answered that the Ecumenical Church prays also for unity between our Churches.