Filaret to GB Ambassador: we take over UOC temples in a “peaceful way”

There are no persecutions toward the faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, all Churches enjoying an equal tolerant attitude. It was stated by the Kiev Patriarchate chief Filaret at the meeting with Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Great Britain in Ukraine Judith Gough.

“From high international tribunes Russia convinces the European community Ukraine is hit by persecutions of Orthodox believers of the Moscow Patriarchate what is not actually the case, since Ukraine is solid for tolerance and equality of all Churches and religions,” said Filaret to the Ambassador.

In his opinion, “transitions of the UOC believers to the Kiev Patriarchate takes place ‘peacefully’ for the most part.”

Filaret declared the UOC KP is a “Ukrainian Church”, whereas the UOC “favors the aggressor”, yet the Kiev Patriarchate reportedly intends to have “good-faith relationships with the Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, since such position will facilitate the unification of the Church in Ukraine.”

Prior to that head of the UOC Law Department Archpriest Alexandr Bahov announced nearly 40 temples of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church had been illegally seized in Ukraine – namely by representatives of the Kiev Patriarchate.

At the end of September the UOC representatives brought to light the information on temple raids at the OSCE conference in Poland. Ex-deputy of the Polish Seim Eugene Chikvin characterized the situation with the respect for the UOC believers’ rights as “inconceivable and inconsistent with the European norms.”

Earlier the US State Department in its annual report on religious freedom in the world lambasted Ukraine for it violating religious freedoms. According to the US Foreign Political Agency, “local authorities offered their assistance occasionally to the UOC KP, trying to gain control over the UOC MP churches.”