Metropolitan Anthony: Each parish of OCU has to pay Phanar from 4000€

Metropolitan Emmanuel of France and head of the OCU Epiphany Dumenko. Photo: lb.ua

On July 9, 2019, Metropolitan Anthony of Borispol and Brovary, the UOC Chancellor, told the Radar journalists on the NewsOne TV channel that after unsuccessful attempts to secure Ukrainian shrines, Constantinople imposed a Tomos tax on each parish of the OCU.

According to him, representatives of Patriarch Bartholomew tried to establish rapport with President Vladimir Zelensky and find out whether he is ready to fulfill the agreements reached with former President Petro Poroshenko regarding the transfer of a number of Ukrainian churches and monasteries to Phanar.

“This meeting was not a success,” says Metropolitan Anthony. “When this did not work out, Emmanuel (Metropolitan Emmanuel of France – Ed.) rendered an invoice to Epiphany,” says the hierarch.

According to His Eminence Anthony, after unsuccessful attempts to receive the prescirbed Ukrainian shrines into ownership, Constantinople decided to replenish the treasury in another way – now every parish of the OCU will have to pay for the Tomos. The fee ranges from 4,000 to 20,000 €.

“They counted how many parishes (will enter the OCU – Ed.) when the UAOC and the Kiev Patriarchate merged and imposed a “tax” on each parish. The smallest tax is € 4,000, the largest one is € 20,000. This is charged from each parish. So they sent an estimate to Epiphany. it was afterwards that Filaret kicked up a row,” said the hierarch.

The OCU rectors themselves report about the “remuneration” they are supposed to pay to Phanar.

“They said 28 million euro should be contributed to Constantinople,” says one of the “priests” of the OCU.

However, this information is not commented in the “holy church of Ukraine", journalists say.

As the UOJ reported, earlier a member of the Kiev Bar Council, Rostislav Kravets, explained that whatever memorandums and agreements were signed between President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew, Phanar cannot legally receive architectural monuments promised to him. The lawyer said, "At the moment, the law does not provide for such a possibility as the transfer or sale of cultural heritage objects that are nationwide and are in state ownership."

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