Zoria: We are happy with the attitude of authorities towards OCU
Spokesman of the OCU Eustratiy Zoria. Photo: Twitter.com
The spokesman of the OCU Ivan (Eustratiy) Zoria believes that the state has begun to treat his structure better.
“We are satisified with the government’s current attitude regarding the foreign affairs of the Church,” he said in an interview with OrthodoxTimes. “As far as our internal affairs are concerned, no intervention or pressure from the authorities has been exerted on us.”
According to Zoria, before coming to power, the current government officials had certain views on Church-State relations and, like any opposition group, tried to show a different approach from the then government – the team of ex-President Petro Poroshenko, who, in fact, created the OCU, and in which the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church significantly increased.
“However, coming to power, they (Zelensky's team – Ed.) realized in practice that religion, the operation of church-religious organizations is not a restricted issue that deals only with the grandmother lighting a candle in the church. It’s a huge set of issues,” the OCU spokesman noted.
As the UOJ wrote, after Vladimir Zelensky came to power, many had hopes that the persecution of the canonical Church would end. However, soon the authorities began to indulge the schismatics, the seizures of the UOC churches resumed, and the President invited Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, who “legalized” the Ukrainian schism, to Ukraine.
Read also
In Nigeria, 130 hostages abducted from Catholic school released
The country's authorities reported the release of the last hostages – victims of the attack on the Catholic school.
Zelensky wishes death to Putin in his Christmas message
The presidential address included the phrase "May he parish", said in the context of a Christmas wish.
Hungarian authorities to fund restoration of Serbian Church monastery
The Government of Hungary has allocated funds for the reconstruction of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos Monastery of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
Zelensky: All Ukrainians celebrate Christmas on the same date
Volodymyr Zelensky recorded a new video with Christmas greetings.
Instead of Christmas: Zelensky declares January 7 Programmer’s Day
Zelensky decided that January 7 is the most appropriate date for introducing a new holiday.
OCU equates UOC’s losses from “transfers” with losses caused by occupation
In Dumenko’s circle, the losses suffered by the UOC due to so-called “voluntary transfers” to the OCU were equated with losses resulting from occupation and the re-subordination of communities to the Russian Orthodox Church.