Priest on persecution of UOC: This is only possible in totalitarian states

Archpriest Oleksandr Klymenko. Photo: a screenshot of the priest's YouTube channel

When asked by a journalist about the reaction of the Local Churches to the events around the UOC, Archpriest Oleksandr Klymenko noted that they (Churches – Ed.) are coming to their senses after the news about the fight with the Church in Ukraine. The priest said this at a press conference held at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra on December 15, 2022.

"For the European world of the last century this is nonsense, this is something unfamiliar neither in legal terms nor in state-religious relations. We understand that this could only happen in totalitarian states. And we see a dissonance between what our country declares in terms of European aspirations and what is actually happening," Fr Oleksandr added.

As reported, according to the expert, discrediting the UOC is contrary to Ukraine’s national interests.

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