Interparliamentary Assembly of Orthodoxy assesses the Ukrainian split

Session of the Interparliamentary Assembly of Orthodoxy. Photo: pravoslavie.ru

On December 10, 2021, during a discussion of the Ukrainian schism at a meeting of the Interparliamentary Assembly of Orthodoxy (IAO) in Greece, it was said that its consequences affected the civil rights and freedoms of believers in different countries of the world, IAO Chairman Sergei Gavrilov said in a comment to RIA Novosti.

The meeting of the international secretariat, chairmen and rapporteurs of the Assembly's commissions was held on the Greek island of Corfu, and parliamentarians from 25 countries took part in it. According to Gavrilov, during the meeting, there was separately discussed the Ukrainian issue, "which provoked a deep intra-religious split."

He noted that this problem arose on the issue of church jurisdictions, but threatens with further disputes and schisms. “The consequences of these internal church disputes and disagreements directly affect the civil rights and freedoms of believers in different countries of the world,” said the head of the Orthodoxy Assembly.

According to him, the participants in the IAO meeting came to a decision on the need to improve relations between the countries and stabilize the situation in such aggravated zones as, for example, Ukraine. “The participants spoke frankly about the dire consequences and responsibility for preserving the unity of the Orthodox world regardless of geopolitical considerations,” concluded Gavrilov.

As the UOJ reported, the Interparliamentary Assembly of Orthodoxy starts in Corfu.

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