Expert: Head of Phanar seeks to get the UOC shrines promised by Poroshenko

Head of Phanar, Patriarch Bartholomew, signs the Tomos for the OCU. Photo: president.gov.ua

The declared visit of Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople to Ukraine, in addition to the attempt of the Ukrainian authorities to play along with the United States, may also be explained by the desire of the head of Phanar to receive direct control over the religious shrines in Ukraine, promised to him by the team of Petro Poroshenko when the OCU was created, Ruslan Bortnik, Director of the Ukrainian Institute for Analysis and Policy Management said in an interview with the First Cossack youtube channel.

“Bartholomew (Patriarch – Ed.) pursues his own goals. At one time, agreements were reached with Poroshenko's team on transferring a whole range of religious sites in Ukraine to the direct supervision of Bartholomew, and these agreements have not been fully implemented to date. Probably, compliance with these agreements is the second task that Bartholomew sets for himself,” the expert said.

As the UOJ reported, the head of Phanar rejoices at the growing number of Ukrainian pilgrims to Turkey.

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