Phanar on govt's actions against UOC: Ukrainian Orthodoxy is being cleansed

Archbishop Daniel (Zelinsky). Photo: tsn.ua

The ruling bishop of the Western Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the USA of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, Archbishop Daniel (Zelinsky) of Pamphilon, believes that the actions of the authorities against the UOC are a cleansing of Ukrainian Orthodoxy.

According to Archbishop Daniel, today in Ukraine “church truth has been restored” through the bestowal of the “Tomos of Autocephaly” by the Patriarchate of Constantinople, and the people of Ukraine are “guarded by the OCU”.

The Phanar’s Bishop said that "in recent days, many friends have been asking about the fact that the Orthodox Church is being ‘closed’ in Ukraine," and lamented that "too many politicians and commentators in the United States do not understand the church reality in Ukraine at all."

He believes that "the President of Ukraine and the state authorities skillfully proved to the society that the UOC-MP abused the people's trust."

Archbishop Daniel is sure that “no rights of believers are violated at all in Ukraine.” “But if the clergy (notably bishops) are engaged in political propaganda for the benefit of the aggressor, then, as in any other society in the civilized world, one should expect a check on the activities of the church structure,” the bishop wrote.

He stressed that he “fully shares the opinion and approach of the government of Ukraine”, that “if the betrayal of the national and spiritual interests of the state is proved by practical actions, then measures should be taken to limit the activities of the ‘church’ that manipulates the minds of believers.”

“Ukrainian Orthodoxy is not oppressed – it is being cleansed and restored,” and “the doors of the OCU are open to the people of Ukraine,” wrote the Phanar’s representative.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that the priest of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Spain, Fr. Tarasy Petruniak appealed to Bishop Michael of Coman to raise his voice against the arbitrariness of the authorities towards the UOC.

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