Russia's President does not understand why Ukraine still needed an independent Church, TSN reports.
Russia's President does not understand why Ukraine still needed an independent Church, TSN reports.
"Why did we need to destroy the unity of the Russian Orthodox Church? You know that this independence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate is actually complete, it has been complete so far, in particular from the point of view of the election of the hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. The Moscow Patriarchate has never influenced the election of the hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. It was actually independent, completely," he said.
Putin claims that there was only "spiritual unity and mention, in the churches remembered all the time, raised the name of the Patriarch of Moscow." "But no, they had to cut it out. Why?", said Putin.
He also has said that "due to the fact that people lived on the boundary with the Catholic world, with Europe, a community of people developed, who were perceiving themselves with a certain degree of independence from the Russian state." The Russian President said that this should be treated "with respect", but "do not forget about our commonality".
It should be noted that, as the Head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan Epifaniy explained, in fact, the Russian Orthodox Church has a great influence on Ukrainian believers and is engaged in the brainwashing of the citizens. "The ROC in Ukraine is Putin's last outpost," he said.