Kyiv approved the bribe to Bartholomew
On the second attempt, the Verkhovna Rada approved the transfer of St. Andrew's Church of Kyiv to the subordination of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.
237 deputies voted for the corresponding decision at today's meeting, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
It is noteworthy that they had to vote twice - the first time they managed to collect only 216 votes in support.
At the same time, the main scientific and expert department of the Verkhovna Rada office noted in its conclusion that the transfer of a building to a specific church is not within the powers of parliament.
“Making a decision to transfer for use one specific object of state property is inherently a legal act of an individual nature and cannot be the subject of a law, which should determine the procedure for regulating certain social relations of a general nature, in particular the procedure for transferring for use all religious buildings - cultural objects heritage, architectural monuments of national importance, and not a specific religious building,” the department’s conclusion says.
In turn, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, on whose initiative the law was adopted, stated in his blog that Kyiv’s gift to Patriarch Bartholomew would bring Ukrainian schismatics closer to receiving the tomos.
“Today we are one step closer to the goal - obtaining the Tomos of autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine. Thanks to the Verkhovna Rada, which supported my corresponding bill,” Poroshenko boasted.
PolitNavigator previously reported that the famous St. Andrew's Church in Kiev, built in the 18th century by order of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna and occupied by Ukrainian schismatics after the collapse of the Soviet Union, would be handed over to the Patriarch of Constantinople "as a sign of gratitude."
Ukrainian TV presenter Vyacheslav Pikhovshek suggested that, following the St. Andrew's Church, Poroshenko will give Bartholomew and the parishioners.
We also reported that they want to rename Kiev “New Constantinople” and resettle Bartholomew there.
Kyiv approved a bribe for Bartholomew.