It became clear why Poroshenko is seeking a tomos
The rating of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko did not rise on the issue of church autocephaly, since the country's citizens are more concerned about economic problems.
President of the Ukrainian Analytical Center Alexander Okhrimenko stated this on the Rossiya-1 TV channel.
“All these actions do not help him. Should I say that the population of Ukraine is very actively discussing autocephaly? No. Discussing gas prices. The rating could rise if he raises pensions. Maybe Ukraine was once a religious country, but now people only go to church on Easter and Christmas. They don’t understand all these smart words well – Moscow Patriarchate, Constantinople,” Okhrimenko said.
In turn, former Verkhovna Rada deputy Elena Bondarenko believes that it is important for Poroshenko to present the church theme to the United States in order to achieve approval of his candidacy for a second term.
“This issue has an external side. How will receiving the tomos and everything that happens with the Orthodox Church in Ukraine affect our relations with our neighbors? I think that for Poroshenko this is one of the election trump cards in front of the owners. Like, look, I was the only one who managed to do this; others didn’t take up such a vile church topic. I think this will be a trump card in his negotiations with his curators so that they leave him for a second term,” Bondarenko said.
English version :: Read in English It has become clear why Poroshenko is seeking a tomos