RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS


Kiev patriarch airs complaints about other Orthodox churches

UPTsKP PATRIARCH CLAIMS MASS TRANSFER OF BELIEVERS FROM UPTsMP AND THE FULL END TO DIALOGUE WITH UAPTs

Portal-credo.ru, 29 September 2015

 

The primate of UPTsKP [Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev patriarchate], Patriarch Filaret Denisenko, gave a rather frank interview about the contemporary state of inter-Orthodox relations in Ukraine on 18 September.

 

In particular, the head of UPTsKP spoke of "tens of thousands" of believers who are leaving the UPTsMP [Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow patriarchate] because of its pro-Russian position and are transferring into the Kiev patriarchate. "Now the movement is coming from below," the patriarch explained. "But I am sure that the time is coming when there will be supporters of the Kiev patriarchate among clergy and bishops" of the UPTsMP.

 

Despite the absence of a dialogue between the UPTsKP and UPTsMP, Filaret noted that both churches speak in favor of a partnership relationship with the government and against same-sex marriages, abortions, and corruption. The patriarch continued: "The intentions of Moscow force us to live with the Moscow patriarchate in peace, which entails enflaming religious strife in Ukraine. The Kremlin wants to cause extreme manifestations, in order to draw the propagandistic conclusion that Orthodoxy is supposedly being persecuted in Ukraine and therefore it is necessary to protect it. Not so long ago the claims pertained to language. The Kremlin shouted that the Russian language was being persecuted in Ukraine. Now this is irrelevant."

 

Patriarch Filaret accused the UAPTs [Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church] of "deceiving the people" for 15 years. "The leadership of the church says one thing in words but does the opposite. There was supposed to be a sobor on 14 September in order to finalize the act of unification [with the UPTsKP]. However all hierarchs of the autocephalous church refused to attend.  We will not have further dialogue with this church, so that they will not deceive the people." (tr. by PDS, posted 30 September 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/.