During a meeting in Lviv region, President Petro Poroshenko told that he had begun his working day with a meeting with exarchs of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and thanked them for the decision of the Holy Synod on the autocephaly for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
"The state and the President did almost everything possible. And we pray for the church authorities, church hierarchs to get ready for the Council as soon as possible," the Head of State said.
At the same time, the President added that, following the historic decision by the Synod, a meeting of the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church had been held: "Once again they have demonstrated that they are under direct influence of the Kremlin and Federal Security Service".
"The decision on defending the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine was made by the RF Security Council ... I consider it a direct interference in the internal affairs of Ukraine and an element of hybrid aggression. And we clearly understand the threats in this regard. The Synod of the Russian Church has decided to break off the Eucharistic dialogue with the Ecumenical Patriarchate," Petro Poroshenko said.
The Head of State added that this testifies to only one thing: "They punished themselves. Just as Russia found itself in total international isolation as a result of the aggression against Ukraine in the east of our country and illegal annexation of Crimea, the Russian Orthodox Church achieved isolation in the world Orthodoxy with that decision. It deprived itself of the opportunity to visit Athos. Deprived faithful and bishops of the opportunity to serve in churches around the world. Isolated itself from the world Orthodoxy”.
"Ukraine unconditionally, fully and completely stands on the side of the Mother Church in an artificial conflict incited by the Kremlin and the Russian Orthodox Church for purely political reasons," the President emphasized.
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