Article about persecution of canonical Сhurch in Ukraine published in Spain

Издательство испанской газеты «Паис»

The article "The Orthodox Church: Another War in Ukraine" about the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church by journalist Pilar Bonet was published in the Spanish socio-political newspaper “El Pais”, the most widely read after “Marca”.

Photos of Bonet’s article were taken by a renowned photojournalist Manu Brabo, who in 2013 received the Pulitzer Prize for covering events in Syria.

“The religious war denigrates Ukraine and puts Orthodox Christians in this country before heart-breaking dilemmas of loyalty,” the Spanish journalist described the situation in the religious life of our state.

In the article, she described how the former President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, with the support of Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, created a new church structure. Bonet noted that at the time of the founding of the OCU, the largest Ukrainian religious denomination was the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which had 12,000 parishes.

“The reality at this transitional time is such that the new continues to coexist with the old. The UOC KP is in the process of dissolution, but 90-year-old Filaret, who leads it, seems to be unaware of the changes. Kiev church media say that the “Honorary Patriarch” of the OCU Filaret, who in the past sought to head the Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow, continues to behave as if he were the supreme leader of the Orthodox in Ukraine,” the “El Pais” journalist emphasized.

Bonet told the world about the continuing attempts to seize the Church of the Archangel Michael in the village of Zadubrovka of the Chernovtsy region and about the religious opposition in the village of Vaslovotsy. The journalist talked to ordinary Ukrainians – the parishioners of the seized temples.

“The state intervened in the affairs of the Church. Do not confuse politics and faith in God. Before they granted the Tomos, they did not consider us separatists, but now they do,” the “El Pais” cited Maria, one of the Orthodox Ukrainians.

The press photographer Brabo captured in the photo how the priest Alexander Gladizh of the Holy Ascension Church of the village of Olenovka (Chernigov region), seized by the activists of the OCU, performed a liturgy in the dilapidated house of one of the parishioners.

In addition to the obvious harassment of the rights of believers in Ukraine, the Spanish journalist drew the attention of the public to the fact that there is now confusion in Ukraine regarding the church authorities to which a particular church is subject.

Earlier, the head of the UOC Representative Office at European international organizations Bishop Victor (Kotsaba) reported that the international community began to react to lawlessness against the UOC and recognized the existence of violations of the rights of believers in Ukraine. “Today, the situation is forcing us to seek more protection and support outside Ukraine. <...> I must say that European institutions, politicians, officials hear our appeals and react to them. So, last year in Vienna at the annual meeting on the human dimension, which is organized by the OSCE (the world's largest organization dealing with security issues, bringing together 57 participating countries), before my presentation, the issue of the violation of the rights of Orthodox believers in Ukraine had already been touched upon by several speakers of European non-governmental and human rights organizations. This indicates a growing resonance in Europe regarding offenses in Ukraine,” said Vladyka Victor.

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