Primate of OCU: We are grateful to Poroshenko for Tomos but do not campaign for anyone
Metropolitan Epifaniy of the OCU recognizes that the current President has done a lot to get autocephaly. However, the Church does not campaign for any of the candidates and reserves the right of the faithful to vote as they wish.
This was said on April 11, at a press conference in Lviv.
“We want the campaign to be pure in the spirit of love. We have parishioners who support both candidates. And we, as the Church, have no right to impose whom to vote for,” he said.
The first hierarch also called for a vote in good faith.
“It is important for us now not to lose freedom. We must understand one thing – without freedom, which we can lose, there will never be welfare. These are intertwined things. If there is freedom - there will be independence, justice, then gradually prosperity will come,” Metropolitan Epifaniy.
The head of the OCU also commented on the words of MP Oksana Syroid alleging that the Presidential Administration is forcing the OCU clerics to campaign for Poroshenko.
“I have been asked repeatedly whether I have the President’s phone number, or whether I communicate with him directly. I will say honestly: I do not have the number and communicate with him only officially. We practically do not meet and we are not given directions. And I do not believe that some of the bishops are contacted by presidential administration and instructed,” assured the hierarch.
"During the liturgy, we pray that fair elections in Ukraine will take place. Of course, we are thankful to Petro Poroshenko that he has done a lot for us to get autocephaly. We do not conceal this because it would be unfair to forget the good things that have been done so far.
The Tomos of autocephaly is also the achievement of the incumbent President. We tell this truth. We do not advocate, we do not invoke, but we, as people, must be grateful. The Tomos is a historical fact that has already happened. It has the name of the incumbent President written on it, and nobody can steal it from history,” stressed the head of the OCU Metropolitan Epifaniy (Dumenko).
