Ukraine's ambassador to Vatican criticises Pope's words in defence of UOC

The Pope and Andriy Yurash. Photo: Facebook of the Ukrainian Embassy in the Vatican

Ukrainian Ambassador to the Vatican Andriy Yurash commented on the words of Pope Francis about the Bill 8371, aimed at banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. In response to the Pope's support for the UOC, Yurash said that Pope Francis may have been misinformed, reports CREDO.

‘It seems to me that the Pope was not well-informed about this ban, because there are no restrictions on those who pray. And in this ban, there is no restriction on the freedom to practise the faith and pray,’ he said.

Yurash also emphasised the important difference between those who pray and those who collaborate with the aggressor. “It must be said that the clergy of this Church undoubtedly worked for the aggressor,” he added.

The ambassador also noted that the law deals specifically with those who bring harm to Ukraine. “I fully agree with the Pope, who says that if someone does evil to his nation, he must be punished. And this ban concerns precisely those who do evil to their nation,” Yurash noted.

At the same time, he assured that the freedom of prayer is not threatened. Yurash also explained that there are no restrictions for those who want to confirm their faith as Orthodox: “If someone wants to affirm their faith as Orthodox, there is already a decree of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew that an Autocephalous Church has been established in Ukraine, precisely the Orthodox Church, and there are no restrictions for those who want to pray in the rite of and within the Orthodox Church.”

As reported by the UOJ, Pope Francis, commenting on the Ukrainian law that leads to the ban of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Ukraine, urged “not to ban any Christian Church directly or indirectly”.

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