OCU Primate: We will implement good reforms and shift away from Russian imperial traditions

Metropolitan Epifaniy stressed in an interview to the BBC that the Orthodox Church of Ukraine will depart from the Russian imperial traditions and move towards the Greek ones, because it was the Greek roots that were artificially removed from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

“We must move away from those Russian imperial traditions that have been imposed on us for a long time. When we visit the churches of the Greek tradition, we see that all those traditions existed in the Ukrainian Church even during the time of Petro Mohyla,” said Epifaniy.

He noted that it was about the Greek tradition in liturgical practice, theological education and the social service of the Church.

“But everything will be done gradually, so as not to cause resistance from the conservative part of the faithful who do not perceive reforms as such. We are not talking about changing the foundations of faith, dogmatics. We are talking about good reforms. We must engage in enlightenment, explain to people that we must become better, so that love prevails among us,” said the Primate of the OCU.