Let them hear us today in Constantinople, Moscow and Vatican, - Poroshenko speaks about the right to Church autocephaly at the parade

Ukraine has a firm intention to cut off the last tie that connects us with the Russian Empire - the Church. Petro Poroshenko said this in his speech at the solemn Parade of the Army -- branded as March of the New Army -- on the occasion of the 27th anniversary of Ukraine's Independence.

"A body cannot be free, when the soul is in captivity. Let them hear us today in Constantinople, Moscow and the Vatican. We have a firm intention to cut off the last tie with which the empire desperately tries to bind us. We are determined to put an end to the unnatural and non-canonical presence of a significant part of our Orthodox community in subordination to the Russian Church. The Church that blesses Putin's hybrid war against Ukraine, which prays day and night for the Russian authorities and for the army, is also Russian,” he said.

The President of Ukraine noted that Ukrainian Christianity has more than a thousand years of history.

“Now that we have restored and defended the State independence of Ukraine with the capital in Kyiv, there is no reason that among the other Local Orthodox Churches there was no equal Local Orthodox Church of Ukraine,” said Poroshenko.

“The issue of the Tomos of autocephaly for the Orthodox Church of Ukraine goes far beyond the religious issues. It is of the same level with the strengthening of the army; protection of the language, the struggle for membership in the European Union and NATO. This is yet another strategic benchmark on our historic path. This is a significant component of our independence,” said Petro Poroshenko.