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Statements about the repressions against the UOC-MP are the Kremlin’s daydreams, Victor Yelenskyy believes

26.07.2017, 12:00
Statements of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) about the “harassment and persecution” that supposedly take place are “daydreaming being broadcast from Moscow”, which, in turn, considers the UOC (MP) as “a branch of the Russian Church.”

Statements of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) about the “harassment and persecution” that supposedly take place are “daydreaming being broadcast from Moscow”, which, in turn, considers the UOC (MP) as “a branch of the Russian Church.”

This was reported by the MP of Ukraine (“People's Front” faction), Chair of the Ukrainian Association for Religious Freedom Victor Yelensky to Obozrevatel".

“All the talks that the UOC (MP) is subjected to harassment and persecution, it is, of course, the daydreaming, and this daydreaming is constantly broadcast from Moscow. For Moscow, it is extremely important to show that in Ukraine there are oppressions of the Orthodox - to have someone to protect,” he explained.

“Obviously, they consider the UOC (MP) as an instrument of influence on the internal Ukrainian situation, and do not hide it. Unlike some bishops of the UOC (MP), they consider it a tool of influence in Ukraine and an affiliate entity of the Russian Church, not its separated part,” the MP added.

According to him, “in order to fix such evidence a lot of money has been allocated.” “The teams of lawyers are touring Ukraine who try to discover the facts of the persecution of the Russian Church in Ukraine. An office has been introduced in the UOC-MP specially for this purpose: a representative of UOC (MP) to the European organizations. Bishop Victor (Kotsaba) was appointed there. Judging by some of his recent speeches, his function is to disseminate information about alleged suppression or persecution of the UOC-MP. “At the same time, the bishop, as a rule, again turns his attention to draft law 4128 and other church bills.”

Meanwhile, the MP said that the UOC (MP) enjoys “all privileges without exception that are enjoyed by all religious organizations of Ukraine” - "to the extent that the leaders of the Church and its hierarchs participate in ceremonial events with the leaders of the Ukrainian state. They enjoy all the discounts that the religious organizations benefit, they have received 220 hectares of land over the last three years, which is enough to place 5 Vaticans, they receive money for the restoration of their religious buildings and so on,” the MP noted.

As reported, July 24, Superior of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Metropolitan Pavel (Lebed) published an appeal to the President and Prime Minister of Ukraine, in which he complained to the authorities of groundless accusations of the monastery in anti-state activities, as well as the bills about the activities of the Church, which, according to Paul, “are directed against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.”