President: We should raise awareness among believers

"Honorary acting spiritual mentor" of the OCU Filaret Denisenko and President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko

The process of transfer of believers to the “Orthodox Church of Ukraine” is already unstoppable, but in order to prevent mistakes, it is very important to raise believers’ awareness, “UNIAN” cites the words of President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko. 

The president urged supporters of the OCU to avoid violence.

“I want to warn the individual radicals who tomorrow will go to take away temples. This mustn’t be done. You take the churches not from Moscow, but from the community. We need to work with the community. It is necessary to convince them and explain: if there is already a canonical Ukrainian church, why should you wander somewhere, go to us,” Poroshenko said at a meeting with teachers and students of Ternopol higher schools.

According to the President, the Kremlin is interested in religious war and bloodshed.

“Those who wanted to attract “titushki”(tough guys – Ed.) and old women in red headscarves failed. Let the Ukrainians choose their own way to God, and they will do it,” Poroshenko concluded his speech.

Earlier, Poroshenko stated that the Vatican news website published information on the creation of the OCU, although there was no such publication on the official website.

Read also

DESS: The number of communities joining OCU in 2024 is half of last year’s

Over a year, 232 communities of the UOC changed their jurisdiction.

Scale of internal damage to UOC cathedral in Zaporizhzhia shown online

The video allows viewers to assess the damage endured by the main Orthodox church of the UOC in Zaporizhzhia.

Ex-MP UOC protodeacon Novinsky declared suspicion of high treason

The former MP is accused of "ensuring that a significant part of Ukrainian society, who are believers of the UOC, remain under the direct influence of the leader of the ROC".

St Andrew’s icon survives under the rubble of UOC cathedral in Zaporizhzhia

The icon was painted by nuns of the St Nicholas Monastery in Patras (Greece) and consecrated on the relics of St Andrew the Apostle.

RF missile strike destroys St Andrew's Cathedral of UOC in Zaporizhzhia

The fragments damaged the roof of the building, dome, ceilings, cut windows and disfigured classrooms.

Media shows conditions in which persecuted communities of Volyn have to pray

After their churches were seized, UOC faithful are compelled to pray in poorly equipped facilities.