UOC bishop: Blinken's words can be taken as a call for new church seizures
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Epiphany Dumenko, May 6, Kyiv. Photo: pomisna.info
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's open interest in promoting the interests of the OCU, expressed on May 6 in Kyiv, may be accepted by some Ukrainian officials as a command for action, which will provoke new seizures of temples of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The head of the Representation of the UOC to European international organizations, Bishop Viсtor (Kotsaba) of Baryshevka, wrote about this on his Telegram channel.
The point is that at the meeting between Blinken and the head of the OCU Epiphany Dumenko, "the removal of artificial obstacles in the free, based on the principles of freedom of conscience, determination of their affiliation by the communities" was discussed. The hierarch of the UOC noted that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has always defended and will defend precisely these principles – freedom of conscience and freedom of religion, and has repeatedly drawn the attention of the Ukrainian authorities to the need to observe these principles. “Some of our officials may take Antony Blinken’s words about ‘the removal of obstacles’ as a command to act, which will lead to a new wave of seizures of the UOC churches, and, consequently, to civil tension and religious confrontation,” thinks Bishop Victor.
Bishop Victor recalled that in recent years the UOC has repeatedly experienced harassment and persecution by certain political forces when the same principles of freedom of conscience were violated. “The seizure of churches, physical violence, a selective attitude towards representatives of the UOC, as well as aggressive rhetoric and banal ignorance of the needs of believers (for example, excluding the chaplains of the UOC in the Armed Forces of Ukraine) – all this, unfortunately, has become our sad present,” said the head of the UOC Representative to European international organizations.
As reported, Dumenko and Blinken discussed how to help the “transitions” of communities from the UOC to the OCU.
Read also
WHO urges securing equal access to IVF for same-sex couples
WHO’s new recommendations substantially broaden the concept of infertility and open the door to widespread use of assisted reproduction, including for same-sex couples and transgender individuals.
In Kniazhychi, brotherhood defends their monastery from seizure
Parishioners and the brotherhood of the UOC Transfiguration Monastery in Kniazhychi succeeded in defending their sacred site from the attempts of security forces and raiders.
UOC Primate congratulates Met. Arseniy on 20 years of episcopal ordination
The Primate of the UOC sent greetings to Metropolitan Arseniy on the anniversary of his personal Pentecost.
UGCC urges faithful to be ready to lay down their lives for Ukraine
The UGCC hierarchs have published a letter to the faithful urging them to cleanse the country of Soviet methods of governance, military organization, and economic management.
Condition of Metropolitan Theodosiy shows first signs of recovery
For the first time since his hospitalization, the health indicators of Metropolitan Theodosiy of Cherkasy have begun to improve.
Court to choose preventive measure for Met. Arseniy in Dnipro on December 5
The prosecutor demands that the detention of the UOC hierarch be extended.