ODESA — On behalf of the clergy and believers of the Odesa Metropolitanate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), the Orthodox community of Odesa, and  himself, Metropolitan Ahafangel (Savvin) of Odesa and Izmail of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate congratulated Viktor Yanukovych “on the God-blessed victory in the election of the president of Ukraine.” RISU’s Ukrainian-language web site posted this story on February 11, 2010.

According to the press service of the Odesa Metropolitanate of the UOC, Bishop Ahafangel stressed in his address to Viktor Yanukovych: “The Ukrainian nation sees in your person an outstanding state, political, and social figure able to revive the economy of Ukraine, bring people happiness, well-being, unite the Ukrainian people, make changes in the foreign and domestic policy of the Ukrainian state, and renew the historic brotherly links between Ukraine and Russia, which were lost during the last five years.”

Metropolitan Ahafangel expressed understanding of the hardness and responsibility of the service “to be borne by Viktor Yanukovych.” At the same time, the metropolitan of the UOC-MP, who also represents the Party of the Region as a deputy of the Odesa Regional Council, assured Yanukovych that as he is “a man of the church” his shoulders will endure such a burden.