US Secretary of State urges Ukraine to move toward autocephalous Church

Politician, diplomat, US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo

US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, in a statement published on the website of the US State Department on Friday, October 19, called on the Ukrainian authorities to continue moving towards the creation of an autocephalous Church, reports Korrespondent.net.

“We call on the Church and the authorities of the country to move towards the creation of an autocephalous Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The United States reiterates its support for religious freedom and freedom of religious groups, including Orthodox in Ukraine,” wrote an American politician and stressed that he supports the desire of Ukrainians to“ independently manage their religion and pray as they like.”

To be reminded, earlier the special representative of the US State Department for Ukraine Kurt Volker said that the United States is a secular state, based on the principle of freedom of religion and does not interfere in the solution of religious issues in Ukraine.

As the UOJ reported, on September 11, President Poroshenko met with the US Ambassador for international religious freedom, Samuel Brownback. As the presidential press service noted, “Ambassador Brownback assured that the United States will continue to support Ukraine in the struggle to restore sovereignty and territorial integrity and the right to have a Single Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church.”

Read also

TRC abducts rector of community in Sutkivtsi, Khmelnytskyi region

Archpriest Volodymyr Stefanyshyn has already been taken to a military training ground.

Church celebrates feast of Holy Foremost Apostles Peter and Paul

On July 12, the Feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul, the Apostles' Fast (Peter's Fast) comes to an end for Orthodox Christians.

UGCC cleric criticizes OCU head for awarding Greek Catholic officials

Hieromonk Yustyn Boiko of the Lviv Archeparchy called the awarding of church honors to officials a profanation and cited the example of an OCU order presented to a Greek Catholic official.

Expert who found no defamation in Dumenko’s remarks to face disciplinary action

An Interior Ministry research center has confirmed disciplinary measures against the expert whose findings supported what the Metropolitan’s representatives described as unfounded accusations by the OCU head against Metropolitan Theodosiy.

European Parliament condemns forced Islamization of children in Pakistan

The European Parliament has called on Pakistan to establish a mechanism to protect Christian families.

Church of the Presentation damaged by shelling in Russia’s Kursk Region

The newly built church in the village of Kulbaki, Glushkovo District, was completely gutted by fire after being struck by a projectile.