UGCC activist transfers UOC temples to OCU
Believer of the UGCC Maria Filipchuk is talking to representatives of the OCU in the Chernovtsy Regional State Administration. Photo: Pravblog YouTube Channel
The main initiator of the illegal re-registration of the UOC communities into the OCU in Chernovtsy region is the believer of the UGCC Maria Filipchuk. A video of her speech within the walls of the Chernovtsy Regional State Administration was published on August 15 on the Pravblog YouTube channel.
According to Pravblog, Maria Filipchuk is an associate of Maxim Burbak, head of the Popular Front faction in the previous convocation of the Ukrainian Parliament.
According to the authors of Pravblog, Filipchuk’s speech can be regarded as “preparing the ground for the future merger of the UGCC and the OCU into a single entity”, since, in her opinion, the Greek Catholics are no different from the Orthodox.
It is worth noting that the statement of Maria Filipchuk on the identical nature of the Greek Catholics and the Orthodox was greeted with applause by the representatives of the OCU.
She is convinced that “the OCU is recognized by the whole world”, while “Greek Catholics and Orthodox Christians are one branch of the Church of Vladimir the Great”.
According to her, the Ukrainians adopted the union in 1654 because "it so happened that the Poles came and seized our land, but the Ukrainians wanted to preserve their Byzantine traditions, therefore, in order not to offend the authorities the name ‘Greek Catholics’ arose."
At the same time, Filipchuk claims that “the Moscow church came to Bukovina in 1940 and we know what kind of policy Stalin pursued regarding everything Ukrainian. Therefore, I am with you.”
Earlier, the UOJ wrote that in Bukovina activists of the OCU came to the head of the Chernovtsy Regional State Administration and demanded that the UOC communities be re-registered in favor of a new church structure in 5 minutes.
In addition, the head of the Greek Catholics, Sviatoslav Shevchuk, called the OCU God's gift on the road to "complete unity" and also stated that "our common goal is the creation of a unified Kiev Patriarchate".
Read also
Congresswoman to Ukrainian ambassador: Imprisoning Christians is never good
Anna Paulina Luna wrote to Stefanishyna that justifying the actions of the Ukrainian authorities against the UOC is not good.
Lavra abbot concelebrates with His Beatitude in Boryspil after long break
On the Sunday after the Nativity of Christ, Metropolitan Pavel concelebrated with the Primate of the UOC at the Boryspil Cathedral.
The Patriarch of Bulgaria revealed that the issue of the OCU was discussed in Istanbul
According to the head of the BPC, during the visit to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Ukrainian issue was considered with respect for the position of the Bulgarian Church.
Shevchuk to Cherkasy officials: UGCC is on the information war front lines
The head of the UGCC told officials in Cherkasy region that the church has become an important participant in the information war.
Ukraine’s ambassador to U.S. tells congresswoman why authorities target UOC
According to Stefanishyna, the UOC speaks about persecution because it is “linked to Moscow”.
Christmas procession visits UOC churches in Kamianske
A procession with revered shrines is taking place in the city, before which prayers are offered for peace and for the people of Kamianske.