Metropolitan Klyment: Primate of the UOC-MP is responsible for the crimes of his clergy in Crimea

Metropolitan Klyment of Simferopol and the Crimean Orthodox Church of Ukraine said this in the program 'national security Issue', Religiyna Pravda (Religious Truth) has reported.

He determined as Russian provocations the visit to the territory of Ukraine and the ordination by the Synod of the UOC-MP to the rank of the Bishop of rural Dean of the monasteries of Crimea, Archimandrite Kalynnyk (secular name Kostyantyn Chernyshov), who participated in the activities of the 'Crimean Self-Defence' and the occupation of the Peninsula in February-March 2014.

“As for Kalynnyk - it was a successful provocation of the Russian side. If we recall the time when he was ordained as a Bishop, it just coincided with the arrival of Mr. Pompeo in Ukraine (Mike Pompeo, US Secretary of State - ed.). If this Kalynnyk had been banned from entering Ukraine, the Russian side would have outcried to the whole world that the religious right of the poor Church of Moscow in Ukraine was violated. If he had been let in, it would have prevented a scandal, but we have got the result so far - the consecration of this clergyman as a Bishop,” Klyment said.

He added that many priests in Crimea effectively supported the occupation in 2014. Also, according to Klyment, he has documentary evidence of the agreement concluded between Metropolitan Lazar of Simferopol and the Crimean UOC-MP and the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation.

“An agreement was signed between Metropolitan Lazar and the leadership of the Black Sea Fleet. We got access to this deal at the trial when in Simferopol we were suing in a case for the Church in Perevalny, which was given to the clergy of the Moscow Patriarchate. We have got this deal. A copy of this Agreement is available in Ukraine. But, unfortunately, this topic is being silenced. The Ukrainian government ignores this topic, and... (the UOC – MP-ed.) benefits from it,” Klyment said.

Commenting on the piece titled 'Polite Fathers' by Medusa media outlet about the participation of the Russian Orthodox Church in the events of 2014 in Crimea, Metropolitan Klyment stressed that the responsibility for the involvement of priests of the UOC-MP, which is subordinate to the ROC, in the crimes of occupation is borne personally by its Primate Onufriy.

“Metropolitan Onufry must understand that he, as the head of the Church, is responsible for the crimes in which the clergy of His Church take part. If he does not want this information to be made public – and as a leader, he does not want to, because he always has to prove that he is a representative of the Ukrainian Church, who has nothing to do with the ROC and what is happening in Crimea. And he, as the head of the Church, gives appropriate instructions both to Lazar and Platon (Metropolitan of Theodosius and Kerch of the ROC - ed.), and all those ordained bishops who are staying there. And let Metropolitan Onufriy assess the actions of his subordinates on the territory of Crimea, it would be interesting to know his position!” said Metropolitan Klyment.