Ecumenical Patriarch to Lviv mayor: Happy about your respect to the First Throne

Almost a month after Constantinople Patriarch Bartholomew sent a letter to the mayor of Lviv, Director of the City Mayor Administration Department of the Lviv City Council, Yevgeny Boyko, published its text on his Facebook page. In the document, the Head of Phanar said he was happy about the respect of Andrei Sadovoy expressed to the “First Throne of Orthodoxy”.

“Today we have received a letter from the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. During my visit to Istanbul, I had the opportunity to extend to the Patriarch an album-book with children’s drawings about our city. At the same time, an invitation was sent from the Lviv mayor to visit Lviv. We sincerely hope that after the pandemic is over, the visit will take place,” Boyko shared with his subscribers.

In the letter, the Head of Phanar praised Sadovoy for his respect shown for the Patriarchate of Constantinople, which the Patriarch of Constantinople referred to as the “First Throne of Orthodoxy”.

“We also want to remind once again that we love all Ukrainians and that we are deeply satisfied with the respect, love and gratitude that you and many of your compatriots express to our First Throne of Orthodoxy,” Patriarch Bartholomew emphasized.

He also promised that the “Great Church of Christ” (Phanar – Ed.) will provide support to its Daughter Church (OCU – Ed.).

“You should know that we are very pleased with the joint efforts aimed at improving the centuries-old ties between Ukraine and the Great Church of Christ and we will help our Daughter Church at any time when it needs our support and experience,” the Head of Phanar upheld.

On January 5, 2020, the Director of the City Mayor Administration Department of the Lviv City Council, Yevgeny Boyko, visited Istanbul as part of the OCU delegation and sent Patriarch Bartholomew an invitation to visit Lviv.