Poroshenko on storming Ukrainian lavras: "All in due time"

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko

You mustn’t speed up the transfer of churches to OCU, said Petro Poroshenko in the programme "Christmas meetings".

“And when someone expected that right there the first actions would be the storming of lavras, the transfer of everything – not the case. All in due time, and do not speed it up,” the President said.

According to him, the transfer of parishes to the OCU is voluntary and he learns about such events exclusively from the news in the media. In addition, the President explained that after the creation of the OCU, “the doors opened to God” for people.

“This has become a unifying factor for the country, which is more important than the referendum on the country's independence because everything starts with spiritual independence,” Poroshenko noted.

Earlier, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has promised to sign bill No. 4128-d passed by the Verkhovna Rada, known as the law on church raiding. As the UOJ reported, the “honorary patriarch” Filaret stated that the lavras would belong to the Ukrainian Church, because “God will create the conditions”. 

 

 

Read also

Orthodox and Catholic bishops make joint visit to Mount Athos

The head of the Phanar blessed a joint pilgrimage to Mount Athos by Roman Catholic and Orthodox bishops.

UOC Kryvyi Rih Eparchy marks 30th anniversary

Metropolitan Yefrem led the anniversary Divine Liturgy in Kryvyi Rih.

Ostapenko: Everyone in UCCRO feels fine except the “FSB UOC”

The director of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve called the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches “a wonderful organization.”

Khmelnytskyi Eparchy donates funds for treatment of 12-year-old girl

UOC believers raised UAH 20,000 for Anastasiia Mamchur as part of an eparchial charity campaign.

Shevchuk: We had to convince world UOC ban does not violate religious freedom

The UGCC head claims that by banning the UOC, the state is not violating religious freedom but merely protecting the Church’s faithful from Moscow propaganda.

Lavra reserve head estimates damage to Dormition Cathedral at €15 million

Maksym Ostapenko said restoring the Dormition Cathedral would take at least a couple of years and require major funding.