Ministry of Culture urges UOC (MP) leaders and their faithful to publicly condemn Russian military aggression against Ukraine

The Ministry of Culture have expressed concern over the instances of blatant anti-Ukrainian activities conducted by the clergy of the UOC (MP) in the occupied territories and asked the church leadership to give them an adequate canonical and disciplinary assessment. They want to get same assessment of anti-Ukrainian actions of the UOC (MP) from the law-enforcement.

This is noted in the statement of the Ministry of Culture.

The Ministry of Culture have cited specific examples where the clergymen of the UOC (MP)  flaunt their anti-Ukrainian and separatist stand, which is intolerant to other churches.

In particular, on November 16, 2016 Secretary of Simferopol and Crimean Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) Oleksander (Yakushechkin) in the presence of Metropolitan Lazarus (Shvets) during the plenary session of the Nativity educational readings themed “Crimea. Lessons of the century. 1917 – 2017”, said that previously the Crimean teachers had had to brazen out and invent excuses why the Crimean schools still spoke Russian and did not celebrate the anniversary of the OUN-UPA.

“But the year 2014 came, and we have made a historical choice. The thing happened that many people could not dream of. We came back home,” he said.

According to the statement of the Ministry of Culture, Metropolitan Lazar has not reacted to this anti-Ukrainian declaration, which can be interpreted as unequivocal solidarity with it and all the consequences that it entails.

Another case, which has been cited in the statement, refers to the speech of Metropolitan UOC (MP) Mytrofan (Yurchuk) during the inauguration of a stone for the monument to the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky by pro-Russian militants-terrorists in Luhansk.

“St. Alexander Nevsky has a special place in the history of our country, since he harmoniously combines excellent gifts of a statesman, politician, warrior and at the same time – of a deeply religious person who, ruling his people, sought to follow the commandments of the Lord. Not by chance the name of Alexander Nevsky became a symbol of Russia, because the feat of his life is an example for all ... His memory reminds us of the unity of the peoples of the Holy Rus. What should we pray is to ask God is that there was no separation, but unity,” Metropolitan Mytrofan was reported as saying.

The authors of the statement also mentioned the blessing by Metropolitan Platon (Udovenko) of Feodosia and Kerch of the UOC (MP) of advanced anti-aircraft missile defense systems of the Armed Forces of RF S-400 Triumph, targeted at the facilities in Ukraine and fully integrated with the Russian air defense system .

As the document noted, the Ministry has repeatedly appealed to the leadership of the UOC (MP) regarding the anti-Ukrainian statements of their representatives, but in return received standard letters and answers about “the peacekeeping mission of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church,” “peaceful settlement of the conflict in the eastern part of the country and preserving the integrity of the motherland” ...

“But above pathetic statements that can be found in the documents submitted to the Ministry are quite discordant with the words and deeds of members of the clergy and senior hierarchs of the UOC who not only justify but also de facto sacralize the armed aggression of Russia against Ukraine,” the authors claim.

“In connection with this we are calling on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and its faithful to publicly condemn the military aggression of Russia against Ukraine that is recognized internationally, and to pay special attention and provide appropriate canonical-disciplinary assessment of systemic anti-Ukrainian statement and activities of some members of the clergymen and hierarch of the UOC, including members of the highest church government  body – the Synod mentioned in our appeal - Metropolitans Platon, Lazarus, Mytrofan (the latter, among other things, also chairs the Department of External Church Relations), who adopted a frank collaborationist position, openly cooperating, justifying morally and spiritually supporting the Russian invaders,” the Ministry of Culture notes.