Poroshenko: can we call churches praying for Patriarch who prays for Russian army Ukrainian

President Petro Poroshenko emphasizes that the decision of the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Synod to provide autocephaly to the Local Ukrainian Orthodox Autocephalous Church finally declared the illegality of the annexation of the Kyiv Metropolis. The Head of State especially emphasized that the Ukrainian Church should not be subordinate to the Russian Orthodox Church.

“Finally, the Ecumenical Patriarchate proclaimed illegal the annexation of the Kyiv Metropolis by Moscow, which took place in the late 17th century. It clearly and unequivocally states that the Russian Orthodox Church has no canonical rights regarding the Orthodox Church in Ukraine ... that our Orthodox Church should not be subordinate to the Russian Orthodox Church. Ukraine never was, neither is or will be a canonical territory of the Russian Church,” said Petro Poroshenko during a prayer for Ukraine meeting.

The Head of State also emphasized the extraordinary importance of yet another decision of the Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate - the lifting of unfair penalties that Moscow had imposed on Patriarch Filaret, the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate. He noticed that they were not imposed on His Beatitude Metropolitan Makariy.

At the same time, the President congratulated both bishops, “It is extremely important that you are canonically restored in the episcopal rank. And the communion of the congregation with the Ecumenical Church was restored. Your sacraments, as well as the ministry of the bishops and clergy of the Ukrainian Churches, are now beyond doubt. We, frankly speaking, did not doubt this earlier, but now no one has the right to speculate on the allegedly not canonical status of Churches that are not under Moscow's control.”

"Your Holiness, you did not break down when imposed a false insignificant anathema by Moscow. It is void and null. As, according to the statements of representatives of the Ecumenical Council, the anathema of Hetman Mazepa was also null and void. In general, I’d like to note that the anathema imposed by Russia is nothing more than a recognition of special merits for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. They are anathematizing only prominent Ukrainians,” added Petro Poroshenko.

“It's very simple - the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church at every service prays for the Russian authorities, the authorities that wage aggression against our State. Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church prays for the Russian army, which kills Ukrainian soldiers, kills civilians, kills Ukrainians. And in Ukraine, unfortunately, there are temples that still remember Patriarch Kiril, who raises these prayers. I think that this is definitely not for the Ukrainian people. And can we ever call Ukrainain the churches, which pray for the Patriarch mentioning the Russian army [in his prayers]?” asked the Head of State.

The President stressed that it guarantees the absence of pressure on believers and the preservation of the right of every Ukrainian to his right to God. “But I would ask the flock and the faithful of this denomination just to think it over a little,” he concluded.