UOC-KP declares itself "persecuted and underground Church"

"Bishops' Council" of the UOC-KP. Photo: Filaret Denisenko's Facebook page

The Ukrainian authorities should stop discriminatory activities against the UOC-KP, which turned out to be “on the rights of a persecuted and underground Church”, and immediately return its state registration. This is stated in the appeal of the "Bishops' Council" of the UOC-KP dated December 12, 2020, published on the Facebook page of "Patriarch" Filaret Denisenko.

“In fact, today our only independent Orthodox Church has found itself in Ukraine on the rights of a persecuted and underground Church,” reads the appeal of the “bishops” of the UOC-KP. “Despite this, the Kyiv Patriarchate continues to exist and carry out its mission, statutory activities, pray for the Ukrainian government and support all its constructive intentions.”

Emphasizing that “the state is obliged to provide the right and opportunity for Ukrainians in Ukraine and abroad to be believers of their Local Orthodox Church, not being dependent on foreign centres,” the UOC-KP warned that the division of the Ukrainian people “into believers of two foreign patriarchates: Moscow and Constantinople <...> will first lead to the loss of independence of Ukraine, and as a result – to the complete collapse of the Ukrainian state."

"History will not forgive everyone who was involved in such an impudent lawlessness, and even more so, those who had the opportunity to show their patriotism and correct the lawlessness of their predecessors and did not do it," the "bishops" of the UOC-KP warned and once again demanded that the Ukrainian authorities "immediately stop discrimination against our Church and return the state registration".

The UOC-KP "persistently asks" to provide the public reaction of the Ukrainian authorities to this appeal, as well as the announcement of its official attitude "to the raider seizure of the largest Church in Ukraine, which has been protecting the national interests of the state and Ukrainians around the world for 26 years, unheard of in the history of Christianity" as soon as possible.

As reported, earlier Filaret called on the head of the State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience to abandon the "offensive clichés invented by the OCU".

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Deprivation of registration or church premises will not solve the problem, as believers will find other ways to continue the services.