The idea of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to grant autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church could have “the most negative consequences for all of the current Ukrainian statehood” if implemented, says Vyacheslav Nikonov, the Head of the State Duma Committee on Education, the Chairman of the board of Directors of the Russkiy Mir Foundation. He said this at the Saints Cyril and Methodius’ Church Post-Graduate and Doctoral School, RIA Novosti reports.
“The attempts of the Patriarchate of Constantinople to encroach on the canonical territory of the Moscow Patriarchate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church are absolutely unacceptable from any point of view... This is something that we certainly cannot allow and we are sure that the leadership of our country will take all measures to make negative consequences for all of the current Ukrainian statehood if such steps were taken”, the politician emphasizes.
The parliamentarian noted that today the Ukrainian autocephaly has already gone very far beyond the boundaries of the church agenda. These issues are part of the geopolitical confrontation of the world's leading powers. For centuries, Russia has been involved into it.
Russkiy Mir
