Religious scholar shares how she helped fabricate a case against UOC priest

Professor at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, scholar of religion Liudmyla Fylypovych. Photo: rus.uatv.ua

A professor at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and scholar of religion Liudmyla Fylypovych spoke about how she helped fabricate a criminal case against a cleric of the UOC, Archpriest Viktor Zemlianyi.

“Here is a case I had with an MP priest, Viktor, from the Rivne region. He is engaged in open anti-Ukrainian propaganda. For example, recently he went to Constantinople, where he distributed leaflets to locals with the inscription: ‘The OCU is a church of schismatics.’ He is clearly working for the FSB and the ROC,” her words were relayed on the pages of the online outlet Vholos.

She reported that as soon as a criminal case was opened against the clergyman, law enforcement officers asked them to review “a huge amount of material” and provide an expert opinion.

“Having studied all the materials, we came to the conclusion that this is the dissemination of anti-state propaganda. At the same time, our colleagues from Kyiv National University write the opposite conclusion, saying that religion should not be mixed with politics. And now the court has two expert opinions: ours, objective, and theirs, probably bought,” the scholar of religion stated.

According to her, the ROC “is pursuing a path of splitting the Orthodox” and wants “to lead world Orthodoxy.” Therefore, they “bought” or “intimidated” Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew so that he would not grant a Tomos to Ukraine in 2008.

“In 2008 we were literally half a step away from receiving a Tomos. And only the activity of ROC priests, who then came galloping into Ukraine and intimidated, bought, or persuaded the Ecumenical Patriarch, did not allow the UOC-KP to receive a Tomos,” Fylypovych assured.

Those who, after the granting of the Tomos, “transferred” to the OCU, the scholar of religion characterized as people “of high moral and patriotic consciousness.”

She also claimed that the clergy of the canonical Church prevent believers from transferring to the OCU and “offer rural priests additional payments of one thousand dollars in exchange for cooperation.”

Earlier, Fylypovych stated that the theory “Moscow – the Third Rome” was invented by Ukrainians.

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