RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS


Russian government meddles in Ukrainian church question

RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY COMMENTS ON IDEA OF AUTOCEPHALOUS CHURCH IN UKRAINE

RIA Novosti, 26April 2018

 

The idea of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko about the creation of an autocephalous Ukrainian church may substantially complicate circumstances in Ukraine, an official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, declared.

 

"It is obvious that attempts to realize such a scenario evoke an extremely contradictory reaction among clergy and believers and run directly counter to the interests of the Ukrainian people, and they also can substantially complicate what otherwise is an extremely tense domestic political situation and provoke a further deepening of the schism in society (of Ukraine)," Zakharova said at a briefing.

 

The president of Ukraine declared on 22 April that the Constantinople patriarchate is beginning procedures that are necessary for the creation in the country of a united local autocephalous church. He said that the decision may be made before 28 July. A source close to the ecumenical patriarchate explained for RIA Novosti that since the issue will be discussed with the participation of the Russian church, and the decision requires unanimity of the churches, Ukraine will not receive autocephaly.

 

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UPTsMP) considers that Poroshenko's appeal regarding creation of a united local church exceeds his authority. The opposition in Ukraine called the initiative for the creation of a united church an attempt to resolve political tasks on the eve of the presidential election. . . . (tr. by PDS, posted 26 April 2018)

 


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