Ecumenical Patriarch hands over decree, sealing Ukraine church independence

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I hands Tomos, a decree granting Ukraine church independence, to Metropolitan Epifaniy, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, after the Epiphany mass at the Patriarchal Cathedral of St. George in Istanbul, Turkey January 6, 2019. REUTERS/Murad Sezer

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - The spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians worldwide on Sunday presented the head of the Ukrainian church with a decree granting it independence from Moscow, a historic split strongly opposed by Russia.

Ukraine sees the break as vital to its security and independence, but it is bound to aggravate the wider conflict between the two countries.