Patriarch Kirill once again stands up for the “persecuted” UOC-MP
This was reported by Religion in Ukraine.
Kirill tries to convince his subordinates that religious terror, the closure of churches and reprisals against clergy continue in Ukraine.
“The persecution of clergy and laity in Ukraine is taking on the features of total terror, which includes the closure and seizure of churches and monasteries of the canonical Orthodox Church by schismatics, reprisals against bishops, clergy, monks and laity, as well as banning information resources that reveal the truth about the persecution,” Kirill (Gundyaev) said.
He believes that the so-called repressions “are carried out against those who try to inform the international community about violations of religious freedom and are organized in such a way as to suppress any public testimony of religious persecution in Ukraine.”
For instance, the Moscow Patriarch cited clergymen under investigation by the Ukrainian authorities, mainly for treason. According to him, Metropolitan Arseny of Sviatohirsk, Metropolitan Pavlo of Vyshhorod and Chornobyl, Metropolitan Theodosius of Cherkasy and Kaniv, Metropolitan Luka of Zaporizhzhia and Melitopol, and Metropolitan Longin of Bancheny are among the “persecuted.”
He also accuses the West of silence. “All this happens in the center of Europe! No indignation from those who have always cared so much about human rights and religious freedoms!” said Patriarch Kirill.
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church is offended by Western countries: “It is striking: in countries that accept Western values concerning rights and religious freedom and human rights, throughout Europe, there is direct persecution and oppression of people just because of their religious choice! Is this what we can say about this whole struggle for human rights? Do you remember how strongly they were fought when it came to our homeland? Nothing of the sort is happening now, when human rights are being grossly violated and religious freedom is being trampled on in the West.”
As reported previously, at his final press conference, Russian dictator Putin reiterated the old trope about the Russian Orthodox Church being “torn apart” in Ukraine. By the ROC, Putin meant, of course, the UOC-MP.
