President-UOC clergy meeting does not take place at Kiev-Pechersk Lavra
President hasn’t come to the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra for a meeting with the UOC episcopate
A meeting between Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and the top bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was scheduled for 2:00 p.m on November 13. The meeting was initiated by the President.
However, today it turned out that Petro Poroshenko would not come to the Monastery and a provocation was prepared against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church hierarchs: after an agreement was made on the date [of the meeting], the bishops received a directive from the head of the Presidential Administration Igor Rainin to come to the Ukrainian House at the same time [2:00 p.m.]
At 11.00 a meeting of the Holy Synod of the UOC started at the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.
As far as known, the UOC leadership does not intend to change its plans and go to the Ukrainian house.
We recall that on November 8, a directive was issued by Metropolitan Anthony, the Chancellor of the UOC, for the bishops of the Church to arrive at the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra on November 13 for a meeting with the President.
Earlier, the edition "Vesti" has published information that on November 9 a telephone conversation took place between Petro Poroshenko and His Beatitude Onufry, in which the President insisted on holding a meeting at the Ukrainian House, fearing reproaches of the public in loyalty to the UOC. But the Metropolitan Onufry ultimately managed to persuade him, and after much hesitation, the President agreed to arrive at the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery.
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