UOC Law Dept.: Bartholomew shamefully avoids those whom he calls his flock

Archpriest Alexander Bakhov. Photo: news.church.ua

Believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church have the constitutionally guaranteed right to stand in prayer in the Mariinsky Park of Kyiv. By doing so, they want to convey to Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and the first persons of the country that after the Tomos they have not gone anywhere and do not want to be part of the newly created OCU. Archpriest Alexander Bakhov, head of the Law Department of the UOC, wrote about this on his Facebook page.

He recalled that Articles 34 and 39 of the Constitution of Ukraine guarantee the citizens of Ukraine, who are also the believers of the UOC, the right to peaceful assembly, freedom of thought and speech, and the free expression of their views and beliefs. “Therefore, the prayer meeting of believers in the Mariinsky Park takes place in accordance with the Constitution of Ukraine,” wrote the head of the Law Department of the UOC.

Father Alexander said that the Tomos granted by the head of the Phanar led to the “transfers” to the OCU by force and deception, which violate the rights of UOC believers. “Secret re-registration of religious communities, violent seizures of churches, discrimination for belonging to the UOC, these and many other violations of the believers’ rights encourage people to go to prayer standing and religious processions to convey these problems,” the priest wrote.

The head of the Law Department noted that Patriarch Bartholomew calls Orthodox Ukrainians his flock, but at the same time avoids meeting with them. “Bartholomew (Patriarch – Ed.) for some reason shamefully avoids meeting people whom he considers his flock, hiding behind the screen of the canonical tradition. It seems to me that the Gospel tradition is much higher than the canonical tradition. If you undertook to heal, so heal, a good doctor always monitors the results of his treatment," said Father Alexander.

As reported, the rector of the seized Holy Dormition Church of the UOC in the village of Ptycha, Rivne region, believes that the Phanar head is with those who violate all laws. 

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