OCU responds to Shevchuk's accusations of property seizure

Dumenko and Shevchuk. Photo: the UGCC press service

The press service of the OCU published a comment regarding the accusations by the head of the UGCC, Sviatoslav Shevchuk, about the seizure of church property and the desire to become a "state Church".

The OCU called Shevchuk’s words “truthful” and “timely.” Dumenko’s representatives emphasized that they do not see them as criticism but as a “Gospel-based warning meant to unite, not divide.”

According to the OCU press service, religious denominations in Ukraine should not be in conflict with one another, “because the real enemy is not another denomination, not another region, not another tradition.”

“The real enemy is the Russian aggressor, who wants us to fight among ourselves while he destroys our homes, our holy sites, and our people,” the message says.

In its statement, the OCU affirmed that Shevchuk’s words are “a spiritual bell for all of us” and urged everyone to “listen,” warning that otherwise, OCU officials fear Ukraine could be lost. In conclusion, the OCU declared that they “forgive” the UGCC and called for unity.

As reported, earlier Shevchuk criticized "churches that fight for property in Ukraine during the war" and strive to become "state". It should be noted that the head of the UGCC did not specify which denomination he meant.

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