“This is not Africa”: Ukrainian Orthodox will not change their name
On December 20, 2018, it became known that the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) is not going to change its name, despite the law adopted by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. This was announced by the Archbishop of Nezhinsky and Pryluksky Clement (Oleg Alexandrovich Vecherya in the world), the bishop of the UOC and the chairman of the Synodal Information and Education Department of the UOC.
It should be noted that the adopted law gave four months to change the name of the churches that are related to the "aggressor country", i.e. to Russia. The law comes into force after being signed by the president and the UOC has already approached him with a request to veto it. However, it is extremely doubtful that Petro Poroshenko will take this step. After all, he was the initiator of this whole bacchanalia with Orthodoxy in Ukraine. Although it is likely that he understands the weakness of his position, the implementation of the aforementioned law is postponed for four months, when, after the March 31, 2019 presidential election, nobody will need this law.
- Clement said on the air of the Ukrainian television channel Gromadske.
The archbishop made an exhaustive and extremely important statement, after which he recalled that according to the charter of the UOC, its governing center is located in Kiev. At the same time, the UOC is governed by the Holy Synod and the Bishops' Council. Moreover, it turns out that back in 1990 the UOC received a tomos of independence.
- summed up Clement.
And indeed, according to the constitution, Ukraine is a secular state. And the authorities of this country have repeatedly stated that they do not intend to interfere in the affairs of the church. However, in reality, everything turns out to be exactly the opposite. Will the aggravation of the conflict on religious and church grounds, will be known very soon.
It should be noted that the adopted law gave four months to change the name of the churches that are related to the "aggressor country", i.e. to Russia. The law comes into force after being signed by the president and the UOC has already approached him with a request to veto it. However, it is extremely doubtful that Petro Poroshenko will take this step. After all, he was the initiator of this whole bacchanalia with Orthodoxy in Ukraine. Although it is likely that he understands the weakness of his position, the implementation of the aforementioned law is postponed for four months, when, after the March 31, 2019 presidential election, nobody will need this law.
It seems to me that this law has nothing to do with our church. Because we have not written in any way ... about the management of some foreign center. <...> Our church has no reason to change its name
- Clement said on the air of the Ukrainian television channel Gromadske.
The archbishop made an exhaustive and extremely important statement, after which he recalled that according to the charter of the UOC, its governing center is located in Kiev. At the same time, the UOC is governed by the Holy Synod and the Bishops' Council. Moreover, it turns out that back in 1990 the UOC received a tomos of independence.
I am worried that both the president and the whole list politicians under the auspices of this law, which is completely populist and "about nothing", today they resort to aggression against the UOC and its parishioners. In a civilized state, this is unacceptable. This is not Africa
- summed up Clement.
And indeed, according to the constitution, Ukraine is a secular state. And the authorities of this country have repeatedly stated that they do not intend to interfere in the affairs of the church. However, in reality, everything turns out to be exactly the opposite. Will the aggravation of the conflict on religious and church grounds, will be known very soon.
- https://glavnovosti.com/
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