Head of Finnish Church of Constantinople: UOC parish poses threat to society

The UOC parish in Turku. Photo: yle.fi

The head of the Finnish Church of the Constantinople Patriarchate, Archbishop Elia stated that the emergence of a Ukrainian Orthodox Church community in the city of Turku allegedly poses a threat to society. The corresponding statements were made amid discussions around the new religious community founded in 2023, writes Finnish media Yle.

According to the hierarch, in the context of discussions about possible Moscow influence on various spheres of life, the parish's activities cause him concern.

"I consider this a threat to the entire society, not just to the church," he stated, also calling the community's existence "uncontrolled activity" and "an invasion of foreign territory."

At the same time, representatives of the community itself reject such claims. Parish priest Alexander Shevchenko emphasized that the community operates within the framework of Finnish legislation and canonical norms. He explained that the parish unites several dozen believers, including Ukrainians, for whom traditional worship in Church Slavonic and observance of the familiar church calendar are important.

Finnish media notes that, according to their information, no Russian influence has been detected in the community's activities.

As the UOJ wrote, earlier the head of the Finnish Church stated that he regularly contacts with special services.

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