Filaret announces a UOC-KP protection forum and aims to turn to UN and OSCE

Filaret Denisenko. Photo: Getty Images / Global Images Ukraine

On December 20, 2019, Forum “In Defense of the Kiev Patriarchate” will be held in the Ukrainian House in Kiev, said “patriarch” Filaret Denisenko at a press conference on Friday, Interfax reports.

According to Filaret, the theme of the announced forum is “for Ukrainian, for the Kiev Patriarchate”. He noted that it is necessary to defend the Kiev Patriarchate, since "forces – both external and internal – are aimed at its destruction."

The head of the UOC-KP said that the forum participants would appeal to the people, "but, in addition, we also turn to the President as the guarantor of the Constitution to preserve religious freedom in Ukraine."

“Since there is a freedom of belief in Ukraine, the Kiev Patriarchate cannot be deregistered,” he stressed, adding that removing the UOC-KP from registration was illegal.

The “patriarch” also said that the UOC-KP intends to seek help from the world community, in particular the OSCE and the UN, “in order to protect our religious rights” and return the registration to the Kiev Patriarchate.

“We request the Ministry of Culture to return this registration to us and ask the president to contribute to the rule of law,” he added.

As reported by the UOJ, on December 14, 2019, the final liquidation of the UOC-KP and UAOC was announced at the "Bishops' Council" of the OCU.

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