PRESIDENT POROSHENKO MEETS WITH HEADS OF CHURCHES AND RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS
Institute of Religious Liberty, 17 February 2015
On Tuesday, 17 February, at 14.30 began a meeting of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and heads of confessions, members of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations.
This was reported to the Institute of Religious Liberty by the chairman of the council of churches, the director of the Churches of Seventh-Day Adventists, Viktor Alekseenko.
It should be noted that this is the first working meeting of Petro Poroshenko with the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations since his election to the post of head of state.
We recall that previously the council of church prepared a list of critical issues of state-confessional relations. Among them were the necessity of legislative strengthening of the chaplaincy service in the armed forces of Ukraine and institutions of the penitentiary system, simplification of the paperwork for humanitarian supplies for the needs of displaced persons and military personnel, and reforms in the sphere of the preparation and improvement of legislation in the sphere of the protection of public morals. (tr. by PDS, posted 17 February 2015)
UKRAINE WILL NOT PERMIT DIVIDING SOCIETY BY PLAYING "CHURCH CARD"—POROSHENKO
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called for preventing a split in Ukrainian society during a meeting on Tuesday in Kiev with the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations.
"There is no doubt that we will manage to beat back this information aggression. We will not allow the playing of the church card," Poroshenko emphasized, whose words were quoted by Interfax.
He accused Russia of an information war and an attempt to divide Ukrainian society by involving church issues. Thus, according to his information, almost 20% of the propaganda related to religious materials.
In connection with this, Poroshenko emphasized that in Ukraine all churches and religious organizations have equal rights. The head of state thanked those present for support of Ukrainian sovereignty, statehood, independence, territorial integrity, and the Ukrainian spirit.
"I urge you to continue the care of the people in these difficult times, because spiritual support and a good word do much more than material goods. Together we can give an example of state-church partnership in the resolution of difficult problems and healing of wounds imposed on our people and our country," Poroshenko stressed.
In their turn, representatives of Ukrainian churches and religious organizations noted that they pray daily for Ukraine, including in military units and in the zone of the conduct of the so-called "Anti-Terrorist Operation." At the same time, the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev patriarchate, Patriarch Filaret, added that the ideas are being promoted that it is necessary to pray for peace, not to take up arms and defend the state.
"Our All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations adopted a statement which recalls that it is necessary to defend the motherland, because this is a sacred duty not only for each citizen but also for each Christian," he emphasized. (tr. by PDS, posted 17 February 2015)
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