UOC-MP wants to return its chaplains to the army: experts started talking about revenge
Experts and politicians told about this live on the air in the "Stop Revenge" project on Channel 5.
Journalists note that supporters of the UOC-MP in parliament propose to formalize the so-called Pastoral Care Council, in which the Moscow Patriarchate has a significant influence, and the Orthodox Church in Ukraine is not represented. The odious MP Vadim Novinsky controls the adoption of the law that is right for the UOC MP.
They also insist on giving access to chaplaincy positions to those faiths who, at the time of adoption of the law, will have at least one full-time chaplain in law enforcement agencies. The Moscow Patriarchate has one in the air unit of the city of Vasylkiv.
They also propose to conduct a survey among the army of the armed forces of Ukraine and representatives of other law enforcement agencies regarding belonging to faiths, on the basis of which the proportions of chaplain positions will be formed.
"And it (the survey – ed.) will say the "Orthodox Church of Ukraine", and then it will say the "Ukrainian Orthodox Church". There is a big problem that the military simply will not understand this manipulative survey. Many of them, even patriotic ones, can vote that they are parishioners of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, thinking that this is actually the OCU, but in fact, it is a wolf in sheep's clothing," says political expert Andriy Kovalev.
The odious MP Vadym Novinsky controls the adoption of the right law for the Russian Church, Ukrainian politicians point out. Journalists of the TV program "Schemes" recorded that he attends the Office of the President as if he worked there.
Zelensky even admitted that they are communicating about the fate of the Russian Church in Ukraine with Mikhail Podolyak, an adviser to the head of the OP.
"This person (Novinsky-ED.) is one of the financial pillars for the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine. He does not hide it at all, he demonstrates it completely publicly. And, in fact, it is very disappointing that this person with such openly Russian positions in Ukraine is so influential, including in the Office of the president," says MP of Ukraine Volodymyr Vyatrovych.
Svyatoslav Yurash, a representative of the Servant of People faction in the Rada, says that there are no undercover influences.
"We finally need this law, we need this institution, not an ideal. Because in the pursuit of the ideal, we will lose everything," the MP explains.
But another MP Rostislav Pavlenko appeals to his colleague: "unlike Petro Poroshenko, hardly anyone in the Office of the current president understands the significance of these issues at all. They would push it far away, but since Novinsky comes there because they hear the position that the Moscow church is actually the Ukrainian Church, all these positions, unfortunately, poison the perception, including that of the MPs."
Experts and politicians once again noted why 7 years ago chaplains of the then Moscow Patriarchate were actually banned from exercising pastoral care in the Ukrainian army.
According to Andriy Kovalyov, the chaplains of the Russian Church were part of the hybrid force that the aggressor used against Ukraine.
"The MP chaplains were such a hybrid soft power that Russia used to spy. Every year, Metropolitan Augustine Markevych, the Head of the Department of the so-called military clergy, and in fact FSB intelligence officers, submitted a report to Patriarch Kirill, in which he clearly described the entire number, forces, means, and weapons of the armed forces of Ukraine," the political expert says.
And even before the adoption of the relevant law, Moscow agents act brazenly and defiantly, explains Maksym Kravchuk, chaplain of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine. He serves in Boyarka, near the capital. He testifies: the branch of the Bohun Kyiv Military Lyceum, where he is a chaplain, is still managed by a cleric of the Moscow Patriarchate Valery Dyomin, who is assisted by the head of the institution, Colonel Potekhin.
"While working at Bohun college, I was faced with the situation that Bohun's commander (Colonel Potekhin) did not behave quite adequately due to the fact that he started talking to me about the fact that the Ukrainian Church is wrong, it is ungrateful, unrecognized," says Father Maksym.
Maksym Kravchuk has already submitted a report for dismissal. Will Demin, who does not see Russia's aggression in Ukraine at point-blank range, take his place?
Experts note: "By all means, the Moscow clergy is trying to get into the Ukrainian army. New conditions for this may be created by the distorted law on chaplaincy service, which is a direct threat to national security."
