US State Department pressured Local Churches to recognize OCU, journalist says
Head of the OCU Epifaniy Dumenko with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Photo: OCU press service
The U.S. State Department exerted sustained pressure on Local Orthodox Churches to recognize the OCU, Ukrainian journalist Mykola said in an interview with Zoryana Radio, alleging direct U.S. interference in the affairs of the Orthodox world.
According to the journalist, former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Special Envoy for Religious Freedom Sam Brownback played a major role in pushing the OCU. These officials made a series of visits to countries in the region, including Bulgaria, to persuade the episcopate to support the OCU.
"They were there at the time, including in Bulgaria, to persuade local hierarchs and Primates of Churches to recognize the Orthodox Church of Ukraine," Mykola emphasized.
“I cannot judge what percentage in this case was a personal initiative and what percentage was an initiative of the United States, but it is obvious that both were involved,” he explained. At the same time, the journalist emphasized that without Washington’s influence, support, and pressure on the Patriarch of Constantinople, “most likely, nothing would have happened.”
As the UOJ reported, the Phanar's Archdiocese in the USA attempted to disrupt pro-UOC meetings.
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US State Department pressured Local Churches to recognize OCU, journalist says
A Ukrainian journalist spoke about attempts by American officials to pressure Bulgarian hierarchs into recognizing the OCU.