Filaret: We are not invited to celebrations at request of Phanar and OCU

Filaret Denisenko. Photo: sputniknews.com

Filaret was not invited to the festivities at the request of the OCU and the Patriarchate of Constantinople, says the statement published on the UOC-KP Facebook page on Monday, August 23.

The press service of the UOC-KP stressed that “this is the first shameful case in three decades of our state's existence. Even Moscow's protege Viktor Yanukovich did not stoop to such a mean disregard for the moral authority of the Ukrainian nation."

According to them, the decision not to invite “The Hero of Ukraine, His Holiness Patriarch Filaret of Kyiv and All Rus-Ukraine” to official celebrations on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Ukraine’s Independence was made by the officials of the President’s Office “at the request of the leadership of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and representatives of the Patriarchate of Constantinople”.

Filaret called “blatant cynicism” the authorities’ decision not to invite to the celebrations “the one who first started the struggle for autocephaly”, “built a truly independent local church”, is “an example of a real Ukrainian statesman” and “did the most for the spiritual independence of the Ukrainian people”.

As reported, before the visit of the Phanar head to Ukraine, Filaret said that he would be glad to meet with him but only as “the Patriarch of Kyiv”.

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