Negative balance of trust and distrust among Ukrainians relates solely to Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, - study results

The study shows that among the high-rank hierarchs of the Churches of Ukraine and the Churches directly involved in the religious and ecclesiastical situation in Ukraine, Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv and all Ukraine enjoys the highest level of trust (50% of respondents trust him, only 15% do not trust him. Compared to 2019, the share of those who trust him increased by 11% (of the table "Do you trust the listed hierarchs of churches?", P. 63-65).

Metropolitan Onufriy of Kyiv and all Ukraine is trusted by 33.5% of respondents, while 28.5% do not trust him.

Patriarch Filaret of Kyiv and all Russia-Ukraine — 35% and 20%, respectively.

Supreme Archbishop Svyatoslav (Shevchuk) of Kyiv-Galicia — 36% and 12.5%, respectively.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew — 33% and 15%, respectively.

Pope Francis — 42% and 15%, respectively.

The negative balance of trust-distrust — is only in relation to Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Russia. The level of trust in him fell from 38% in the "pre-war" 2013 to the current 19%, and the level of distrust increased from 25% to 42%.

The study of the dynamics of this indicator proves that the main factor in the decline in confidence in it is the open support of the Moscow Patriarchate and the patriarch personally for Russia's aggressive actions against Ukraine. It should be noted that residents of the Eastern Region show a low level of trust in all these hierarchs (the Primates of the OCU and UOC-MP have the highest level of trust here (28% each).