Minister of Culture surprised by claims of Poroshenko and OCU against SBI
Epiphany Dumenko and Petro Poroshenko. Photo: liga.net
Minister of Culture of Ukraine Alexander Tkachenko is surprised by the statements both from the side of the former president Poroshenko and from the representatives of the OCU that the Tomos was the subject of the SBI's investigation. Mr. Tkachenko wrote about this on June 20 in his telegram channel.
According to him, the information voiced by Petro Poroshenko and the representatives of the OCU “is not true”, since “autocephaly and Tomos are a church matter”, “and the claim of the honorary patriarch to the former president is a legal matter and in no way relates to the status of the OCU in either the state or in world Orthodoxy.”
“The Church should remain out of politics,” said the Minister of Culture of Ukraine.
Earlier, the UOJ wrote that on June 18, 2020, speaking to those gathered at the building of the Pechersk District Court in Kyiv, Petro Poroshenko said that a criminal case had been opened against him because of the Tomos.
On June 19, the OCU issued a statement, according to which the current criminal case against Petro Poroshenko “is a shameful and absurd attempt to put pressure on the Orthodox Church of Ukraine”.
Read also
Priests and laity of Rivne Eparchy donate blood for children with cancer
In Rivne, the UOC clergy and laity have donated blood for children undergoing treatment for cancer.
Kyiv seminary students meet with People’s Artist Larisa Kadochnikova
Students of Kyiv’s theological schools spoke with the legend of Ukrainian cinema, who shared her memories of filming "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors".
Bancheny Monastery reports provocation
The UOC monastery in Bancheny has reported a provocation by unidentified individuals.
Romanian Church to hold joint prayer for peace in Ukraine
On the fourth anniversary of the beginning of the war in Ukraine, special prayers for an end to the hostility will be offered in all churches of the Romanian Patriarchate, both in the country and abroad.
Armenian bishops call on authorities to stop Church persecution
At a meeting in Austria, hierarchs of the Armenian Apostolic Church reaffirmed their faithfulness to Catholicos Karekin II of All Armenians and called on the authorities to stop the persecution of the clergy.
Italian media: Ukrainian authorities persecute the country’s largest confession
The Italian outlet L’Identità reported on mass searches, the arrests of clergy, and the ban on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which it describes as the largest Church in Ukraine.