Ukraine supported the persecutors of the Serbian Church
Ukraine actually supported the authorities of Montenegro, who, by analogy with official Kiev, began persecution of the Serbian Orthodox Church with the aim of creating a local “autocephalous” schismatic structure, which caused mass protests among parishioners that have not subsided in this Balkan country since December.
The Ukrainian Embassy in Montenegro made an inappropriate comment regarding the visit to the country of Metropolitan Onufriy of Kyiv, head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate . He is scheduled to participate in a joint service with hierarchs of the Serbian Church, which was viewed by believers as an important gesture of support amid the repression of the pro-Western ruling regime.
Despite the fact that, according to the Constitution of Ukraine, the state is separated from the Church, officials of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs demanded that Metropolitan Onuphry not be considered the main hierarch of Kiev - the embassy emphasized that, in the opinion of the state, such is the head of the schismatic OCU created with the support of the United States - Epiphanius.
The statement by officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine also contains false information that it is the schismatics who are the largest denomination, although it is known that the leadership in the number of parishes and monasteries all the years after the collapse of the USSR was occupied by the UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate.
“The only bishop of the Autocephalous Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan of Kyiv and all Ukraine, who has full canonical communion with His Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the head of the Metropolitan Church, is Blessed Metropolitan Epifaniy, who does not intend to visit Montenegro...
Taking into account the great attention of the Montenegrin public to the above-mentioned visit and the possible statements of Metropolitan Onufriy regarding current events in Montenegro, we would like to draw your attention to the fact that Metropolitan Onufriy is not authorized to express the views of the majority of Orthodox believers in Ukraine or the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
Understanding the importance of observing the principle of separation of church and state, we consider it inappropriate for a representative of the church, which is an integral part of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Onufriy, to comment on the internal problems of Montenegro on behalf of the Ukrainians, thereby jeopardizing the existing friendly relations between the Ukrainian and Montenegrin peoples “- the embassy commentary says.
Visitors to the page are outraged by the behavior of Ukrainian diplomats and call on the embassy to “not disgrace itself” and remove the comment.
Ukraine Supports Persecutors of the Serbian Church