OCU rep claims UOC parishes in Germany may threaten its national security

Petro Bokanov. Photo: libertasfidei

OCU cleric Petro Bokanov, who oversees two communities in Frankfurt and Mannheim, has claimed that the activity of UOC parishes in Germany allegedly poses a threat to the country's security. He said this in an interview with the Libertas Fidei portal.

According to Bokanov, the structures of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church "seek further expansion, the construction of their own churches, and participation in Orthodox religious education."

The question of who will represent Orthodoxy in Germany and what views on the war will spread among Ukrainian refugees is, as he put it, "a question not only of Ukrainian but also of German national security."

The OCU cleric asserts that a significant portion of the refugees will remain in Germany and eventually obtain citizenship, which means that the views formed in their parishes may, within a few years, influence the sentiments of German society.

The OCU cleric cited data according to which the UOC in Germany has 25 parishes, 10 pastoral centers, and 36 priests. The OCU, by his account, has only three parishes and two active priests. According to Bokanov, by the end of 2023 the UOC had 84 communities abroad in 15 countries of Western Europe. The cleric also expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that UOC congregations hold services in Ukrainian, allegedly leaving refugees "unable to understand" which church they have come to. 

The OCU cleric also criticized German churches that provide premises to UOC communities and invite their representatives to inter-church meetings on assistance to refugees. He called for "explaining" the difference between Orthodox jurisdictions to German church, public, and state organizations.

Recall that on May 27, 2022, the UOC Council decided to open parishes abroad for the spiritual care of Ukrainians forced to leave the country because of the war. In accordance with the Tomos, the OCU has no right to create parishes outside Ukraine, as the diaspora is assigned to the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that, according to MP Poturaev, the UOC is comfortable abroad because there is no law banning it there.

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