Kyivan Patriarchate Prohibits Its Clergy to Run in Election

16.08.2012, 09:14
Kyivan Patriarchate Prohibits Its Clergy to Run in Election - фото 1
The spokesman of the Kyivan Patriarchate, Archbishop Yevstratii (Zoria), answered the question if UOC-Kyivan Patriarchate supports nomination of its clergymen as candidates.

Зоря.jpgBefore each parliamentary election campaign, questions are raised as to the participation of ministers in it as candidates. The spokesman of the Kyivan Patriarchate, Archbishop Yevstratii (Zoria), answered the question whether the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate supports the nomination of its clergymen as candidates, the press service of the UOC-KP reports.

”UOC-Kyivan Patriarchate gives no blessing to its clergy, bishops, priests and deacons to run in the parliamentary election. This is the position of our church, personally of Blessed Patriarch Filaret's. It is in line with the canons and church tradition. No clergyman has a right to make such decisions without the blessing. Anyone nominating himself as a candidate without the blessing will have to choose between service in the church and political activity. He will not be able to combine the two,” noted the archbishop.

The hierarch noted that if anyone has nominated himself as candidate in the election, it was done without the patriarch's knowledge or blessing.    

“I communicated with the Blessed Patriarch about this: he gave no blessing to any clergyman for running in the election either representing a party or a circuit. The registration of candidates is now being completed, and any clergyman who nominates himself as a candidate will have an interview with the Primate and will have to choose. If he wants to be a deputy he will be dismissed from the service and will be able to participate in the election as a private person. If he wants to continue the ministry, he will have to withdraw his candidacy,” said Archbishop Yevstratii.