Poturaev: Exarchate of the Phanar in Ukraine is a fake idea

MP Mykyta Poturaev. Photo: Ukrinform

Mykyta Poturaev, an MP from the Servant of the People party and the head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy, criticized the idea of the Constantinople Exarchate in Ukraine, calling it "absolutely fabricated lie", reports Glavcom.

He believes that the discussions about the exarchate are intended to delay the consideration of Draft Law 8371, which aims to ban the activities of the UOC.

"Experts explain that such an exarchate is an absolutely fabricated lie. When the conversation about the Tomos for the newly created Orthodox Church of Ukraine began, the ROC broke off canonical relations with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, and the UOC (Moscow Patriarchate) did so simultaneously. Moreover, at the UOC (MP) Council in May 2022, after the start of the large-scale war, this decision to break relations was reaffirmed. So how can they now request an exarchate from the Ecumenical Patriarchate if they are not in relations with it? When the Tomos was granted to the OCU, signatures were collected from the President, ministers, deputies and priests. Among the signatories were representatives of the UOC-KP, the Ukrainian Autocephalous Church and even from the UOC-MP. All this was delivered to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and in response to this request, the Tomos was granted. But where is all this now?" Poturaev asks.

The MP stated that the idea of the exarchate is being discussed without the members of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy. He calls such discussions a provocation "aimed at people, particularly politicians, who are simply not deeply informed about these specific issues".

As reported by the UOJ, MP Mykyta Poturaev said that Bill 8371 raised concerns among other denominations, so some amendments were made to it for the second reading.

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