RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS

Supporters of Moscow church prepare for patriarch's visit to Ukraine

LAITY OF U.P.Ts.M.P. SUMMON PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW TO FACE-OFF NEAR VERKHOVNA RADA

Religiia v Ukraine, 13 August 2021

The believers' movement "Laity" of the UPTs(MP) [Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate], which was recently founded by Donetsk businessman Viktor Vishnevetsky, sent to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew a written invitation in which they request a meeting with him and a special conversation on the square at the entrance to the building of the Ukrainian Supreme Soviet, Religiia v Ukraine reports, citing the "Laity" ["Miriane"] Facebook page.

"Your Holiness! We, laity of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, know that you are planning to be in Ukraine in the period from 20 to 24 August 2021. We know that on 21 August there is scheduled your meeting with the speaker of the Ukrainian Supreme Soviet. We will gather at the walls of the Ukrainian parliament in order to describe for you the truth about what is really happening to Orthodoxy in Ukraine. We want to provide you information about the social catastrophe, which has been caused by the actions of the former president, Petro Poroshenko, in the Ukrainian land. Your decision to grant the request of the former president of Ukraine and to issue the tomos concerning autocephaly to the structure called the 'Orthodox Church of Ukraine' has led to real persecution of our canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church under the primacy of Metropolitan of Kiev and all-Ukraine Onufry. . . ," the invitation to Patriarch Bartholomew says.

The "Laity" are convinced of the "physical and moral violence" on the part of supporters of the PTsU in the seizure of church buildings and the like. "We consider that you are being given false information about events unfolding in Ukraine, and thus we request a meeting in order to present the whole truth and to find a way out of the situation in which our church finds itself," the invitation says.

The laity promise Bartholomew to gather believers from all dioceses of the UPTsMP at the meeting with him on 21 August at 9:00 Kiev time on the square at the entrance to the building of the Ukrainian Supreme Soviet, where the patriarch already has a meeting scheduled with the speaker of the parliament.

The banner of the announcement, which the laity are circulating on the internet, reads: "Prayer for overcoming schism. Meeting with Patriarch Bartholomew."

It should be noted that previously believers of the UPTsMP, under the leadership of their clergy, have been circulating the opposite slogans: "Bartholomew, we did not summon you!" and so forth.

"We really did not summon him and we are not awaiting him, and we have declared that loudly. But if he stubbornly arrives for our holiday, and he chances upon our prayers. . . ," explains Natalia Shakhova, a participant in the "Stop Bartholomew" flash mob, in commenting on the invitation.

Believers of the UPTsMP actively propose options in commenting on a meeting with the patriarch. "Pelt His Holiness with eggs and tomatoes," "Yell 'Shame' three times and 'Good-bye'," urges Igor Rzaev from the Odessa UPTsMP diocese. (tr. by PDS, posted 13 August 2021)

U.P.Ts.M.P. FLASH MOB AGAINST PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW IS HIRED ACTION—NEWS MEDIA

Religiina Pravda, 13 August 2021

The flash mob "Bartholomew, we did not summon you," the idea for which was generated in the Kremlin and obediently carried out by believers and clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine (UPTsMP), is continuing in Ukraine.

This was reported by Dukhovnyi Front, citing believers of the UPTsMP who were forced to participate in the flash mob.

They described the interesting circumstances of such actions that are being conducted in many cities of Ukraine.

The sources note that the leaders of dioceses of UPTsMP have been compelled to conduct "prayer vigils" with the slogan "Bartholomew, we did not summon you." And the demonstrations themselves were paid for, with special funds allocated for conducting them.

In particular, the publication printed a photo of a similar flash mob that was held on 12 August near the Kiev caves lavra. It is noted that it is visible how representatives of the clergy and believers are counting and dividing funds after the protest demonstration against the arrival of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I in Ukraine.

 The publication's sources maintain that all demonstrations that the UPTsMP has already conducted under the slogan "Bartholomew, we did not summon you," and all demonstrations that are still planned, are paid for. At the same time, the majority of participants do not even know in advance the contents of the event to which they are being invited by representatives of the clergy.

It is noteworthy that the front man of the flash mob is the famous patron of the "Russian World," UPTsMP Metropolitan Luke. By his statements he is creating a powerful advertisement of demonstrations against the arrival of the ecumenical patriarch, which is then picked up by pro-Russian and Russian propaganda resources. (tr. by PDS, posted 13 August 2021)

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