The head of the political council of the political party Our Ukraine, Valentyn Nalyvaichenko, is concerned over facts of persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate, the press service of Our Ukraine reported to UNIAN.
“In our opinion, one can see in Ukraine not only curtailing of the democratic processes but also an encroachment on freedom of conscience guaranteed by the Constitution. Today, the authorities, who are to act according to the constitutional principle of the separation of the church from the state, give a false and imprudent signal to all the believers in Ukraine and show its open support for only one church denomination,” said Nalyvaichenko.
In his opinion, “within the framework of the post-Soviet bureaucratic logic,” such actions esentially declare a bureaucratic war against religious harmony in Ukraine. “Such policy will inevitably include religious raids, seizure of church buildings, and violation of spiritual needs of our citizens,” said Nalyvaichenko.
According to Nalyvaichenko, “as they follow the wrong way, the authorities not only abandon the idea of one national church but also become the ideological successor of the Bolshevik persecutions and repressions against the Ukrainian Church in the 20th century.”
In view of the above, Our Ukraine addresses all believing citizens regardless of their denominational affiliation: “In spite of any unwise actions of the state and church officials, let us together care about spiritual unity in the spiritual home – without encroachment on the rights of other believers – and work in establishing a unified Ukrainian Church...I hope that this idea, which, I am sure, is shared by millions of Ukrainians, will eventually be heard by the authorities,” continued Nalyvaichenko.
According to UNIAN, on January 30 Patriarch Filaret of the Ukrainain Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate said that attempts are being made to implement Moscow's large-scale plan to destroy the Kyivan Patriarchate.