Yurash: Zelensky government continues Poroshenko's religious policy

Andrei Yurash. Photo: lb.ua

The head of the Department for Ethno-National Politics and Religions of the Secretariat of the Government of Ukraine Andrei Yurash believes that the Vladimir Zelensky government continues the religious policy of the Poroshenko government.

Answering the question of how significant for the Ukrainian state the Phanar head’s upcoming visit to Kyiv is, Yurash said that "it is very important that this visit will take place at the invitation of the President of Ukraine".

According to Yurash, the organization of Patriarch Bartholomew’s visit at the state level means that "the leadership of Ukraine at absolutely all levels confirms the continuity of its position – that it was no coincidence and natural that steps were taken towards church autocephaly."

“Actually, this is the strategic position of the Ukrainian state, which does not call into question the role of the Mother Church, from which Baptism was received 1033 years ago, thanks to which Ukraine – at that time Kievan Rus’ – joined the entire civilized world within the framework of that tradition that existed in the Byzantine Empire,” the official said.

He also believes that "the Ukrainian state understands that the long-awaited institutionalization of the local Ukrainian church tradition, towards which Ukrainian society has been moving for more than 100 years, and which was accomplished with the blessing and participation of the Mother Church, is an important element of strengthening and spiritual support of our statehood". 

As reported, according to the Ukrainian political scientist and political strategist Mikhail Pogrebinsky, Zelensky returned to Poroshenko's position on the UOC under US pressure.

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