ROC head writes to Pope and Local Churches over Rada’s actions against UOC

Patriarch Kirill of the ROC. RBC

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, has addressed the leaders of religious organizations worldwide in connection with the vote in the Verkhovna Rada on bill 8371, which provides for the UOC ban, reports the Moscow Patriarchate’s website.

“Initiators and supporters of the adoption of this bill in Ukraine—senior government officials, deputies of the Verkhovna Rada, radical politicians, and public figures—do not hide that the bill is directed against the largest religious community in Ukraine and aims to eliminate the Ukrainian Orthodox Church as a centralized structure, as well as all its dioceses, parishes, and monasteries individually,” said Patriarch Kirill.

He sent his address to the Primates of the Local Orthodox Churches, Pope Francis, Patriarch Tawadros II of the Coptic Church, Head of the Anglican Communion Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury, Catholicos of the East and Metropolitan Basil of Malankara Mar Thomas Matthew III, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, Catholicos of the Supreme House of Cilicia of the Armenian Apostolic Church Aram I, Catholicos-Patriarch Ava III of the Assyrian Church of the East Mar, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and All East Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches Dr Jerry Pillay, President of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Franklin Graham.

He also wrote to leaders and representatives of international organisations: UN Secretary-General António Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Matteo Mecacci, OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities K.K. Abdrakhmanov and others.

As reported, according to MP Artem Dmytruk, those who voted in favour of banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church made a gift to Putin.

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