“The moment has come”: the Ukrainian government intends to unite the UOC and OCU
There are a large number of priests serving in the UOC who are ready to unite with the so-called OCU, formed from schismatics.
Ukrainian Minister of Culture Oleksandr Tkachenko announced this on air on TV channel 24, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
According to Tkachenko, the recent meeting of representatives of the OCU and the UOC is a confirmation of readiness for such a dialogue.
“The meeting of priests itself is not the leaders of the UOC or the OCU, these are priests from both sides. The very fact that they gathered in St. Sophia of Kyiv, had a joint prayer, and discussed in a calm, civilized manner the challenges facing both churches suggests that such a dialogue is possible. And this is the most important result of this process.
The fact that the UOC condemned a dialogue of this nature, today there was an official statement, upsets me. However, the first step has been taken...
This process is gradually beginning, the process of unification that Ukraine demonstrated during the war. It also needs to be carried out in the religious sphere... There are a huge number of priests in the UOC who, unlike the leaders of the UOC, are ready for dialogue with the OCU. And it’s important for us to use this moment,” Tkachenko said.
"The moment has come": the Ukrainian government intends to unite the UOC and the OCU