Ombudsman to enquire why AP hides Poroshenko-Phanar agreement
Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Liudmila Denisova
The Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Liudmila Denisova promises to look into the reasons for the refusal of the Presidential Administration to provide a copy of the cooperation agreement that Petro Poroshenko and the Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew signed on November 3, 2018. This is stated in the response of the Obudsman to "Ukrainian News”.
The news agency filed a journalistic request to provide a copy of the agreement. According to the law, it should have been submitted within five working days, but this has not been done so far: the officials responded that they extend the time to process the query to 20 days. Such a delay is acceptable if the request "concerns the provision of a large amount of information or requires the search for information among a significant amount of data". The Presidential Administration did not explain what exactly prevented from responding journalists on time.
As the UOJ reported, the "Agreement on cooperation and interaction between Ukraine and the Ecumenical Constantinople Patriarchate" was signed by President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and Patriarch Bartholomew, following a meeting in Istanbul on November 3. The press service of the President reported that the document is an agreement on the creation of an independent Ukrainian Church.
The head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk stated that the signing of the agreement is exclusively in a political plane and lies outside the canonical field.
Read also
Shevchuk tells Budanov of UGCC’s “state-building role”
The head of the Uniates told the head of the Presidential Office that his Church was ready to partner with the state and presented him with a book on the work of special services in the Church.
Authorities decline to disclose Ukraine’s population size
The State Statistics Service acknowledged that it has up-to-date population estimates for the country, but has decided not to make them public.
Lithuanian govt vows to protect Orthodox Church from Russian intelligence
Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry has called for curbing the influence of Russian intelligence services on the Church, while an adviser to President Nausėda warned against labeling the entire structure a security threat.
During Ramadan, Patriarch Theodoros hosts Islamic iftar at his residence
Patriarch Theodoros of Alexandria hosted a meal for Muslim workers breaking their fast in the courtyard of the Patriarchate and thanked a sheikh for his “brotherhood.”
Lawsuit filed against Patriarch of Constantinople
A Turkish official has accused Patriarch Bartholomew and dozens of clergy of “illegal activity” and violating the Treaty of Lausanne.
OCU cleric buried with Church Slavonic funeral shroud
In the Ternopil Eparchy of the OCU, a cleric was buried under a funeral shroud bearing inscriptions in Church Slavonic.