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ROC rejoices since Zelensky does not interfere in church affairs

25.07.2019, 14:25
ROC rejoices since Zelensky does not interfere in church affairs - фото 1
The new President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, does not interfere in the affairs of the Church, and “it does him honor.” Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev) said it in an interview with RIA Novosti on July 24, Relihiyna Pravda reports.

The new President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, does not interfere in the affairs of the Church, and “it does him honor.” Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev) said it in an interview with RIA Novosti on July 24, Relihiyna Pravda reports.

“Patriarch Bartholomew was promised that Poroshenko would remain in power and bring to an end the case of forced involvement of the episcopate, clergy and believers of the UOC in the new autocephaly [he is referring to the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine]. But Poroshenko did not remain in power, and the new President of Ukraine does not interfere in church affairs, and this does him honor. Everyone should mind their own business: the politicians shall engage in politics, while church leaders shall be engaged in church affairs," Metropolitan Hilarion said.

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It should be noted that on August 31 last year, at a meeting with Patriarch Kirill (Gundyaev) in Constantinople, Patriarch Bartholomew asked him to “quiet down” Metropolitan Hilarion, who made all sorts of groundless accusations against the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

From 2014, Metropolitan Hilarion has been also persona non grata in Ukraine, it became evident on May 10, 2018, when he was trying to cross the state border of Ukraine at the airport of Dnipro. Other top leaders of the ROC MP, including Patriarch Kirill (Gundyaev), are still "not allowed to enter" Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian authorities, their propaganda of the “Russian World” created ideological ground for aggression in Donbas.