Yelensky talks about his conversation with His Beatitude on banning UOC

His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy of Kyiv and All Ukraine. Photo: news.church.ua

Viktor Yelensky, the Head of the State Ethnopolicy and Freedom of Conscience Service (DESS), commented to Interfax Ukraine on August 21 that he spoke with His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy about the future of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) following the adoption of Law No. 8371.

"I had a conversation with Metropolitan Onufriy... I told him that we are not demanding that he join another church, nor are we demanding that he switch to a new calendar or anything like that; it’s only about breaking ties with Moscow," Yelensky said.

According to the official, the UOC can sever its relations with Moscow even during the judicial review process.

Yelensky also claimed that in those days, 400 priests of the UOC appealed to Metropolitan Onufriy, urging him to convene a council and sever ties with the Russian Federation. However, His Beatitude did not receive the delegation.

"Yelensky emphasized that the interaction with Onufriy will not be in the format of consultations, but the State Ethnopolicy Service does not reject dialogue," the report states.

As reported by the UOJ, the head of DESS is ready to "sketch out a model" for how the UOC can join the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU).

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