UOC bishop: Whose “father” is Phanar head – raiding victims or invaders?

Archbishop Nikolai. Photo: screenshot of the YouTube channel "Ukrainian News"

Archbishop Nikolai (Pochtovy) of Vasylkiv at the round table "The Basic Law of Ukraine and its Application to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church" noted that Patriarch Bartholomew, who positions himself as the "father" of Ukraine, in reality led to the division of Ukrainians and enmity between themby his actions.

“When I watched the video footage of the seizure of the UOC churches, I had a question. Patriarch Bartholomew claims that he is 'the father of the Ukrainian people'. Well, whose father is he – those who defended their temples or those who attacked these temples? Let him give an answer."

According to the bishop of the UOC, this was caused by the blatant lawless actions of the “Patriarch of Istanbul” in the canonical sphere and the violation of the Constitution by the Ukrainian authorities.

This eventuated in seizures of UOC temples in the villages, affected by church raiding, and enmity between the Ukrainians, says Archbishop Nikolai: “Villagers against villagers. Relatives and neighbors no longer want to know each other now. They used to be friends but became enemies within one village."

As the UOJ reported earlier, the UOC hierarch expalined why believers of the UOC demand that the President of Ukraine revoke an invitaton to the head of Phanar to Ukraine. 

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