Poroshenko is misinformed about the situation in the religious sphere, – expert

Director of the Ukrainian Politics Fund Kost Bondarenko believes that the idea of establishing a Ukrainian Local Church, intensively promoted by the President, has to do with the fact that he is supplied with the wrong sociological data on the quantity of the UOC believers. The political expert said about it in the program “Freedom of Choice” with Pavel Karnazytsky on the website Glavnovosti.

"I constantly say that in Ukraine the Ukrainian Orthodox Church could fulfill the role of conciliator and unifier," Bondarenko said. “Moreover, the canonical Church operates both on the territory of Ukraine and on the territory that is not under its control. In addition, this same Church also operates in the Crimea. Why does Bankova stake on the Kyiv Patriarchate? An idée fixe plague the people who encourage Poroshenko "to go down in history as a creator of the Local Church”. “Now is the right time,” they say, “you can go to Phanar and strike an agreement." Therefore, today the creation of the Church on a national basis dominates any common sense."

The political expert believes the President is given incorrect data on how many citizens of Ukraine are really interested in creating the Autocephalous Church.

"Unfortunately, sociology has already turned from science into a tool of manipulative influences," Bondarenko said. "And we understand that one can get completely different data depending on how the question is formulated."

At the same time, the expert stressed the state should in no case interfere in the church issue.

"There are three spheres the state should not be involved: linguistic, humanitarian and spiritual," Bondarenko said. “These three spheres should exist beyond politicians and the state. These are "country-wide" projects – from the sphere of existence of Ukraine as a country".

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