UOC KP launches “easypay - easypray” machines: the cost of service ranges from 10 to 4999 UAH
One can pay for a prayer through EasyPay terminals. Such service became available a month ago throughout the entire country. This information was confirmed by the call-center operator of EasyPay payment system.
After on December 4th activist from Lvov igor Zinkevich had posted on his Facebbook page a photo of the terminal which showed one could pay for praying services, journalists decided to find out who receives funds and executes orders.
In order to find such service in the terminal, you have to type the word “prayer” in the query line. Then to press an icon of Jesus Christ and choose one of the three prayer types: for health, for safe return home and for the victory over the enemy. The cost of the service varies from 10 to 4999 UAH and is discretionary. It’s allowed to enter five persons at maximum per one transaction.
Herewith the terminal mentions nothing about who will pray, where and how long it will continue. Nor does it specify what Church provides such services. The receipt contains the name of the recipient of funds – sole proprietor O. Gonchar, whose account is registered in PrivatBank in Cherkassy city.
In replying to the question of ZAXID.NETjournalist who this man is and where the prayer takes place, EasyPay call-center said the end recipient and executor of prayers is the UOC KP.
“Orders for praying will be carried out by priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Kiev Patriarchate, while O. Gonchar is a self-employed individual who took up the role of intermediary between the payment system and the Church,” remarked operator of the EasyPay call-center Vadim.
Oleg Gonchar appeared to be a 35-year-old entrepreneur from Cherkassy, who in 2012 ran for the Parliament by the list of UDAR party led by Vitaliy Klichko. O. Gonchar is also a co-founder of NGO “Prosecution for Bribe taking”.
Chairman of the UOC-KP Information Department archbishop Evstratiy Zorya stated that though he believes “the use of payment terminals to request about prayers to be a bizarre option,” yet “he does not view it as totally unacceptable provided certain terms are complied with.”
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