US Department of State speaks in support of autocephaly in Ukraine

The State Department building in the USA

The United States supports the autocephaly adherents in Ukraine and considers Patriarch Bartholomew to be "a voice of religious tolerance and interfaith dialogue", stated the US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert on 25 September.

"The United States strongly supports religious freedom, including the freedom of members of groups to govern their religion according to their beliefs and practice their faiths freely without government interference. The United States respects the ability of Ukraine’s Orthodox religious leaders and followers to pursue autocephaly according to their beliefs. We respect the Ecumenical Patriarch as a voice of religious tolerance and interfaith dialogue," reads the statement published on the official site of the US Department of State.

Heather Nauert said that the US supports Ukraine "as it charts its own path and makes its own decisions and associations, free of external interference".

At the same time, it is stressed that "the United States strongly supports religious freedom, including the freedom of members of groups to govern their religion according to their beliefs and practice their faiths freely without government interference".

As reported earlier, in mid-September, the head of the UOC KP Filaret visited the US. During the visit, he met with representatives of the US authorities and also thanked the US for supporting Phanar in its efforts to grant The Tomos on autocephaly to Ukraine.

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