Ecumenical Patriarch to Concelebrate with Dumenko on Theophany
Joint Divine Liturgy and Great Blessing of the Waters to take place January 6 at the Phanar.
ISTANBUL — Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will concelebrate the festal Divine Liturgy with "Metropolitan" Epiphany Dumenko of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) on Tuesday, January 6, at the Phanar, according to an official announcement from the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
The celebration will be held at the Patriarchal Church of St. George, where Patriarch Bartholomew will preside, joined by Dumenko. This comes after reports from UOJ that Constantinople allegedly regrets the Tomos of Autocephaly granted to the OCU in 2019 but has decided that revocation would hurt the EP's reputation.
Following the Divine Liturgy and the Doxology, Patriarch Bartholomew will officiate at the Great Blessing of the Waters. The traditional service will then continue at the Phanar waterfront, where both the EP and Dumenko will preside over the Blessing of the Waters, marking the culmination of Theophany celebrations.
Previously, UOJ reported that Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria had made an agreement with Patriarch Bartholomew that the OCU would be excluded from Nativity services during his visit to the Phanar for Christmas.
