Pavlenko: We’re creating Church for tens of millions unwilling to be in UOC

Former deputy head of the AP Rostislav Pavlenko

Church initiatives of the Ukrainian government have a very simple "message", said former deputy head of the Ukrainian Parliament Rostislav Pavlenko on the Hromadske TV channel.

"Since tens of millions of believers want canonical communication and do not see themselves in the Moscow Church, the task of the state is to create an independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church," Pavlenko said, adding that those who wish to remain in communion with Moscow have such a right and "the state will protect this right".

According to the State Statistics Committee on January 1, 2018, the population in Ukraine is 42 million 386.4 thousand people. At the same time, unofficial sources say that there are barely 38 million Ukrainians.

Read also

Attempted Arson at Hagia Sophia Quickly Contained, Suspect in Custody

Incident follows evening prayer service; authorities say suspect has history of mental illness.

Surrogates More Likely to Suffer from Mental Illness

Nearly half of surrogate mothers face risk of new-onset mental health issues, according to a recent study.

Nearly 2,000 Pilgrims Participate in Procession to Pochaiv Lavra

“We walked openly, prayed together, and were amazed that 1,800 of us came together," one pilgrim said.

Patriarch Bartholomew Seeks to Create a 'Common Sacred Worldview'

Patriarch Bartholomew clarified that the goal is not a unified global religion but a “global alliance of conscience” opposed to a “reductive materialist worldview."

Schismatic Anglican Bishop Schisms from Schismatic Anglican Sect

The split reflects Giffin’s resistance to a potential APA merger with the Anglican Catholic Church—another small, schismatic Anglican body.

Macedonian and Ukrainian Bishops Concelebrate for the First Time

The newly-autocephalous Macedonian Church refused to recognize the schismatic Orthodox Church of Ukraine.