Filaret calls on his flock to protest against Epiphany

Head of the UOC-KP Filaret Denisenko. Photo: RIA Novosti

On August 4, 2019, speaking in the Cathedral of the UOC-KP, Filaret Denisenko called on his parishioners to protest against the head of the OCU Epiphany Dumenko.

“I appeal to all of you,” Filaret called on his flock. “I have served you for 53 years in the Cathedral, having missed neither a single liturgy nor a single ministry. Therefore, I ask you to protect, first of all, the Kiev Patriarchate and me as a patriarch.”

He called for protests against Epiphany Dumenko: “Turn to the authorities, make protests. But you need to protest against Epiphany because everything is done under his control."

At the same time, the head of the UOC-KP believes that “we need to appeal to the President, the government, and MPs so that they protect our constitutional rights. We have freedom of conscience and freedom of religion, but they (officials of the former President Petro Poroshenko – Ed.) do not let us pray and kick us out. Where is freedom in Ukraine? Where is the Constitution, where are the laws? Laws are violated and thus, it is necessary to protect the laws and protect our independent church of the Kiev Patriarchate.”

Filaret is sure that the “destruction of the Kiev Patriarchate” will inevitably lead to the destruction of Ukraine. He emphasized that this should not be allowed, because “our Ukrainian state, our culture, our language and our people are most precious to us”. 

He once again stated that "the Tomos had resulted in nothing but the destruction of the Kiev Patriarchate itself". Filaret also reminded those present that none of the Local Churches had recognized either Tomos or the OCU.

According to him, “Tomos made our Church dependent on the Greeks. We used to be an independent, free and unrecognized Church. And now we are both dependent and unrecognized. ”

Earlier, Filaret claimed that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was trumpeting to the whole world about the seizures of its temples, but there hadn't been any seizures.

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