Parubiy: UOC is not a Church

Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Andrei Parubiy

On October 18, the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Andrei Parubiy spoke about his attitude to the UOC and said that the “Church of the Moscow Patriarchate” is not a Church, reports the “Ukrainska Pravda” (“Ukrainian Truth”).

Parubiy made such a statement during the discussion of the bill on the transfer to the Constantinople Patriarch’s possession of the building of the Presidential Administration on Bankova, which was submitted by the “Opposition Bloc” MPs. Thus, they opposed the transfer of St. Andrew's Church to the Phanar.

“How dare you speak here, from the high Ukrainian tribune, about the disregard for the Ecumenical Patriarch?! This is just Gundyaevism and demonstrates that this is a KGB sect,” the Speaker of the Parliament replied to his opponent’s speech.

He accused “Gundyaev's priests” of killing Ukrainian soldiers and said: “This is not a Church! Today, Ukraine is returning to its Church!”

Parubiy forbade deputies to insult the feelings of believers from the rostrum and slander the Patriarch of Constantinople. “We will no longer allow such speeches in the hall,” the speaker said.

Recently Paruby has accused the UOC monasteries of hiding murderers.

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