The UOC (MP) disguises itself under the name of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, not being Ukrainian, but instead having affiliation and connection with the Russian Orthodox Church, thus misleading ordinary believers.
This was said in by OCU Primate Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv and All Ukraine in an interview with the Voice of America.
“Many Ukrainians do not fully realize that they visit the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine,” he said, explaining that the danger is that the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine has put up on its temples a sign with the inscription “Ukrainian Church”.
“Sometimes the enemy disguises himself. And now we see in many different spheres that the enemy is trying to disguise himself as Ukrainian, and meanwhile is doing his job of supporting the invaders. And that’s why we have to settle these issues,” said the First Hierarch.
According to him, Ukrainian society wants to see a real single Ukrainian Church.
“Unfortunately, there are religious organizations that still maintain institutional ties with the aggressor state. That is why the parliament has now passed at first reading a bill prohibiting religious organizations from having ties with the aggressor state.
The All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations recently met with the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, and the question arose (they even held a vote) whether there are religious organizations that stand against such a law. And everyone unanimously supported the decision that such a law is needed, to regulate the situation, so that the aggressor state is no longer able to exploit religious organizations for its own purposes, weaponizing them,” emphasized the head of the OCU.
It should be recalled that Metropolitan Epifaniy said the Russian Church is a soft power that negatively affects Ukraine.
