Mass Media: A functionary dismissed from PA who promised Tomos by July 28th

Former Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine Rostislav Pavlenko

It was Pavlenko who in the establishment of Bankovaya street initiated an idea of granting autocephaly to the Ukrainian Church, reports Strana.UA.

Referring to their sources, the journalists of the outlet write that Rostislav Pavlenko promised that Tomos on autocephaly would be granted to Ukraine well before the Day of the Baptism of Rus.

"Initially, it was clear that such a complex issue, given the colossal resistance of Moscow and the ROC, cannot be resolved within a few months in such a conservative structure as the Church,"  cites Strana.UA its source from Bankovaya. “But the President was surrounded by a group of people led by Rostislav Pavlenko, who decided to give Poroshenko a "wunderwaffe" to win the election. They convinced him it was possible to quickly reach an agreement with the Ecumenical Patriarchate on autocephaly and sell it to the voter as a sweeping victory. It was on the basis of their information that Poroshenko voiced an approximate date for receiving the Tomos before July 28th. But the reality came out completely different. It turns out that Pavlenko and Co. have simply set up the President."

Pavlenko replaced Vladimir Gorbulin as director of the National Institute for Strategic Studies.

Read also

ROCOR Priest Reflects on Trip to Capitol Hill

Archpriest Victor Boldewskul participated in the Society of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco's Day of Action to raise awareness about the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Hundreds of Chinese Christians Arrested in Pre-Christmas Crackdown

Hundreds of Chinese Christians face spending Christmas in detention after authorities launched a sweeping pre-holiday crackdown on churches under Beijing’s campaign to control religious life.

Ukraine Adviser: UOC Not Banned, but Offered a 'Choice' of Jurisdictions

A Ukrainian presidential adviser said the UOC is not banned but pressured to choose between joining the OCU, submitting to Constantinople, or remaining unregistered, while dismissing international concerns as propaganda.

Indiana Reports 98% Drop in Abortions Under Stricter Law

Indiana’s latest health report shows a 98% drop in reported abortions under stricter laws, though dozens still occurred under legal exceptions and concerns persist about unreported pill abortions.

Armenian Apostolic Church Pushes Back on Political Encroachment

The Armenian Apostolic Church plans to appeal to international bodies to resist government interference and defend its clergy and sacred relics.

Attempted Takeover at Armenian Etchmiadzin Cathedral Thwarted by Faithful

Supporters of Armenian PM Pashinyan attempted to storm Etchmiadzin Cathedral amid calls for the Catholicos’s resignation but were blocked by parishioners and security.