proza.ru
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC MP) called absurd Petro Poroshenko’s statement that the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) should leave Ukraine. The representative of the UOC MP Vasily Anisimov named the Ukrainian president's speech absurd, Interfax news agency reports. He recalled that the protection of the church is guaranteed by the provision of the country's constitution.
Earlier, the President of Ukraine called abnormal that the Russian Security Council discussed the issue of ROC protection. Nevertheless, the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church did not find anything unusual in it. Vasily Anisimov assured that the Russian Orthodox Church, which was born in Kiev, should be protected by the authorities of all countries where its parishes are located because it consists of citizens of these countries.
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church was older than the Ukrainian state itself, he added. The modern Ukrainian state is less than 30 years old with only the fifth president. Meanwhile, the metropolitan of Kiev is 152nd in row.
There was no Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine but the majority of the country's residents supported the canonical UOC, the Moscow Patriarchate confirmed. The idea of Ukrainian politicians to create a so-called united Ukrainian church is “gross and lawless violence over the conscience of the nationals”.
According to Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, the ROC "was born in Kiev, existed on Ukrainian land for more than 1030 years". From here it spread to other territories and united other nations, survived persecution and severe trials. “Those who became its persecutors today should know the history and learn from it", Igor Yakimchuk said.
Russkiy Mir
