Tulchin eparchy: MPs' address to UOC returned us to the Soviet era

Metropolitan Jonathan (Yeletskikh) of Tulchin and Bratslav

The Tulchin eparchy commented on MP’s recent address to the Primate of the UOC, in which the people’s deputies asked to "stop defamation" of those who support the creation of the Single Local Church.

"And what norm of the Constitution or the law of democratic secular Ukraine empowered the Verkhovna Rada deputies to (re)format the canonical structure of religious organizations or authorized the creation of the so-called 'Single Local Church'?" said the post on the official website of Metropolitan Jonathan of Tulchin and Bratslav.

The Tulchin eparchy official noted that the Verkhovna Rada deputies preferred to pass over this issue in "silence of lambs".

"They, like professional tricksters, in the Pharisaic manner, boiled down the most acute problem of their violation of Ukraine's Constitution norm on the separation of the state from the Church and, accordingly, their ignoring the right of the autonomy of the Church to their canonical self-organization (the choice of status) to a declaration on non-interference of the Verkhovna Rada (God forbid!) in ... liturgical practice (?!), in the way of life of the faithful (!?), and (attention!) ... in the elements of their clothes!" commented the bishop of the Tulchin eparchy.

The message notes that by this letter the Verkhovna Rada deputies returned believers of the canonical UOC to the Stalin-Khrushchev era, when deputies of different religions and even atheists decided which house – common or individual – Christians should pray in.

"Dear Parliamentarians, the Constitution of Ukraine is written not for you?!" No answer! Oh, Soviets, you are still alive!" said the commentary.

This week, the media have published a message of deputies to His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine.

Earlier, the Eparchial Council of the Tulchin eparchy of the UOC, under the chairmanship of Metropolitan Jonathan of Tulchin and Bratslav, condemned the initiative and actions of the Ukrainian authorities to create the Single Local Church.

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