Head of the UOC Law Depatment: Filaret and Ministry of Culture ventilate the same falsehood on the amount of parishes having passed to schism
Filaret said that «compared to 13 thousand parishes 100 is not that big number», yet even this information is not true, acording to the lawyer: «I wish Mr Filaret did not mislead people and tell a flagrant lie, resorting to manipulations.»
«It's surprising but the same statistics is used by the Ministry of Culture. It makes me laugh that Kiev Patriarchate is eager to act on its own but is unable on its own to calculate the number of parishes,» he adds.
Protopriest Alexander Bakhov cites the statistics that in fact the Kiev Patriarchate has embraced as many as 8 UOC congregations since 2014, with nearly 40 temples of the UOC communities having been taken over. «Unfortunately, all raids are commonly referred to by the state authorities and members of the Kiev Patriarchate as «transitions». Because bashing of the people, cutting off locks, threats, violence, and illegal coming into ownership of the property – these are generalized as «transitions,» stresses the cleric.
He explains that the data furnished by Filaret are easy to check: one should merely ask to show re-registered charters of these parishes. «But even here manipulations are employed – Ptichya, Badovka, Ugrinov villages – this list is to be continued and extended, when temples of the UOC religious communities are seized by newly-hatched congregations of the Kiev Patriarchate. You won’t believe it but they also call it transitions,” he writes.
Read also
"Stigmatization based on faith": DESS reprimands TSN for story about Muslims
DESS criticized TSN because "the investigation in the "1+1" news story immediately took on an accusatory bias, and the accused themselves were not given a voice."
His Beatitude Onuphry: Through fasting, man returns to Paradise
On Forgiveness Sunday, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry reminded the faithful about Adam's fall and urged them to repent before Great Lent.
Archbishop of Greece speaks about his successor and the Church's future
On the occasion of the 18th anniversary of his leadership of the Greek Church, the Primate gave an interview in which he spoke about relations with the state, the situation in Sinai, and the challenges of the modern world.
In Barcelona, Sagrada Familia’s central tower completed after 144 years
In Barcelona, a glass cross was installed on the Sagrada Familia temple, completing the central tower and bringing the building to the height of 172.5 meters.
On Forgiveness Sunday, His Beatitude Onuphry celebrates Liturgy at Lavra
During Cheesefare Week, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry celebrated the Liturgy at the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, addressed the flock with a sermon, and offered prayers for peace and the preservation of Ukraine's people.
In Hnidyn, St. Nicholas Church of UOC damaged by shelling
As a result of shelling, the St. Nicholas Church of the UOC in the village of Hnidyn of the Boryspil Eparchy was damaged.