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Constantinople moves toward Ukrainian church independence
Summary
A look back at the decision announced on 11 October 2018 that set Kyiv and Moscow on opposite sides of an Orthodox dispute.
What did the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople decide on 11 October 2018, and why did it matter beyond the church? It announced plans to recognise the autocephaly of two Ukrainian Orthodox Churches, a step that placed religion at the centre of Russia–Ukraine relations.
The reaction split along familiar lines. Ukrainian leaders welcomed the move. The Russian Orthodox Church denounced it as "catastrophic".
The decision fed into what became known as the Schism of 2018, a rift in Orthodoxy that was tied directly to the strained relationship between Moscow and Kyiv. The plan was a statement of intent rather than a finished process, and the divergent responses on 11 October 2018 showed how far apart the two sides stood from the outset.
