RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS


 

Ukrainian lawmakers call for investigation of metropolitan's protest

DEPUTIES FROM POROSHENKO BLOCK WANT TO RECEIVE ASSESSMENT OF BEHAVIOR OF UPTs DELEGATION AT PARLIAMENT SESSION

Interfax-Religiia, 12 May 2015

 

A group of people's deputies from the fraction Block of Petro Poroshenko has prepared an appeal to the Ukrainian prime minister, the Ministry of Justice, and the public that a proper evaluation of the actions of representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church be given.

 

"In the session hall (at the time of a solemn session in the Supreme Soviet on 8 May—IF), when President Petro Poroshenko called the family names of heroes of Ukraine, who had earned this title (some of them posthumously), the entire hall greeted the family names by standing, with the exception of representatives of the delegation of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow patriarchate)," a deputy from the Block of Petro Porosheko, Alexander Dekhtiarchuk, said at a briefing on Tuesday. He said a group of deputies from the Block of Petro Poroshenko considers such action as disrespect to Ukrainian soldiers and contributing to religious schism within the country.

 

In his turn, a deputy of the same fraction, Taras Batenko, declared that not all citizens of Ukraine know about the connection of the UPTs with the Moscow patriarchate. "Therefore we consider it necessary and we will insist upon sending to the Ministry of Justice a demand to require the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to insert appropriate changes in the charter document which would permit believers to clearly identify the jurisdiction of that church," he said.

 

As reported, Metropolitan of Kiev and all-Ukraine Onufrey,  chancellor of UPTs Metropolitan of Borispol and Brovary Antony, and head of the synodal youth department Bishop of Obukhov Iona, in contrast to others, did not stand at the above mentioned session of the Rada when Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko read the names of Ukrainian soldiers , participants in the ATO.

 

Afterward Metropolitan Onufrey explained the reason. "We did not stand because this was our sign of protest against war as a phenomenon. We do not want for war to continue on our land; we do not want for people to be killing one another. We want peace and that God's blessing be upon our land," he declared. The primate of UPTs stressed that this "was not a sign of disregard for heroes of Ukraine." (tr. by PDS, posted 12 May 2015)
Russia Religion News Current News Items

Editorial disclaimer: RRN does not intend to certify the accuracy of information presented in articles. RRN simply intends to certify the accuracy of the English translation of the contents of the articles as they appeared in news media of countries of the former USSR.

If material is quoted, please give credit to the publication from which it came. It is not necessary to credit this Web page. If material is transmitted electronically, please include reference to the URL, http://www.stetson.edu/~psteeves/relnews/.