Viktor Yushchenko promises to help create Local Church in Ukraine

Viktor Yushchenko and Patriarch Bartholomew at the meeting in 2008

Viktor Yushchenko said this on his official Facebook page.

"The unity of the Ukrainian people, whose great strength will be the Autocephalous Orthodox Church, will become an insurmountable spiritual fortress in combating Russian aggression against Ukraine," the message said.

The ex-president of Ukraine promised to use all his experience to help create the Local Orthodox Church in Ukraine.

"Undoubtedly, this will be a long-awaited, truly historic event for the entire Ukrainian society," Yushchenko said. "I support the efforts of the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko on these issues of major importance for Ukraine and I appeal to all citizens, all responsible politicians and public figures to unite around this great goal and actively work together to create the Autocephalous Orthodox Church in Ukraine."

Earlier, Ukrainian Presidents Leonid Kravchuk, Leonid Kuchma and Viktor Yushchenko signed a joint "Address to the Ukrainian people, believers of Ukraine on granting autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church".

In turn, the UOC considers interference of politicians in the affairs of the Church anti-constitutional.

In mid-April, Poroshenko turned to Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople with a request to grant the Tomos on autocephaly to the Church in Ukraine and announced the creation of the Single Local Church. The Verkhovna Rada supported the appeal of the President. The Kiev Patriarchate has already stated that they see their leader Filaret, excommunicated by the canonical Church, as the head of the SLC.

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