Metropolitan Clement comments on OP chief's words regarding UOC

Metropolitan Clement of Nizhyn. Photo: UOC

The hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church commented on the statement by the OP chief Kyrylo Budanov, who spoke against forceful interference in church affairs and emphasized that the UOC should not be called the "Moscow Patriarchate". As the head of the UOC Information and Educational Department, Metropolitan Clement (Vecheria), noted in a comment to "Strana", the words of the government representative "sounded as a reflection of an objective, non-populist, primarily state position". 

According to the UOC hierarch, such rhetoric also testifies to Ukraine's aspiration to follow European principles, where, as the metropolitan emphasized, state interference in the religious sphere and pressure on believers are unacceptable.

"Any other approaches to resolving religious issues and building state-church relations would inevitably contradict national legislation and Ukraine's international obligations," stated Metropolitan Clement.

As the UOJ reported, earlier the OP chief Kyrylo Budanov emphasized that adding the suffix "MP" to the name of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is manipulation. He also noted that in Ukraine the Church is separated from the state and called for preventing coercion in matters of faith.

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