Mosiychuk: Is the move from Moscow to Constantinople spiritual independence?
Ihor Mosiychuk. Photo: Facebook
Ukrainian politician and public figure Ihor Mosiychuk stated that everything the government is doing under the guise of combating the Moscow Patriarchate (MP) is actually destroying Orthodoxy and is "completely unrelated to establishing its own canonical Local Church." In an interview on journalist Oleksandr Shelest's channel, Mosiychuk, a supporter of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP), emphasized that the government is deceiving the people by talking about spiritual independence.
"Is moving from Moscow to Constantinople spiritual independence? If it's about spiritual independence, it should be the Kyiv Patriarchate, not the Constantinople one. Why lie to people? You're creating a Constantinople exarchate, fleeing from Moscow’s lord to Istanbul’s lord, while talking to us about independence?" the politician exclaimed.
He argued that President Zelensky's actions to ban the UOC are not beneficial to him; rather, his approval rating will drop since most of his voters were UOC members.
Mosiychuk also questioned the ethnic background of UOC clergy.
"Everyone is running around shouting 'Moscow priests'. My question is, how did it happen that most of the 'Moscow' parishes are located in Volhynia, Rivne, and Bukovyna? This is Western Ukraine, a rebellious region. And people attend these parishes and don't want to give them up!" the politician said.
Mosiychuk expressed confidence that the government is trying to create a state church and warned against such a move.
"You can't build a state church; it ends badly, even where these projects were successful. It alienates people because the Church is about faith, not about the state. The main goal of all these actions is to turn people away from faith," concluded the former MP.
As reported by the UOJ, earlier the UOC-KP stated that the Tomos from the Patriarch of Constantinople, as highlighted in the publication, brought subordination to the Greek throne.
Read also
Italian Ambassador to Ukraine thanks UOC for Odesa cathedral restoration
At the reception for Republic Day in Kyiv, diplomat Carlo Formosa noted the Church's contribution to the restoration of the Transfiguration Cathedral.
Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) reassigned to serve in Brazil
After the incident in Czechia, Metropolitan Hilarion will continue his ministry in the Argentine and South American Eparchy.
Israel introduces fines for use of loudspeakers in mosques
Law enforcement officers have received permission to confiscate sound equipment in case of violations.
Catholicos of All Armenians bans government interference in Church affairs
Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II reported the initiation of more than a dozen criminal cases against clergy.
Synod of Romanian Church accepts resignation of Met. Petru of Bessarabia
The Synod Chancellery announced preparations for the election of a new head of the metropolis and the formation of a list of candidates.
Metropolitan Onuphry chairs final meeting of KDAiS Academic Council
The Primate of the UOC awarded orders to distinguished employees of the KDAiS and wished the teaching staff God's help in their continued service to the Church.