Metropolitan Hilarion: ROC has no financial interest in UOC

Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk

For many decades, no funds have been transferred from Ukraine to the general church budget, the head of the DECR of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, told Izvestia outlet.

The Metropolitan stressed that it is wrong to liason the issues of church unity with any kind of financial calculations, especially in the case of the UOC, which enjoys the rights of broad self-government within the Moscow Patriarchate and has complete independence in financial and economic matters.

"Therefore, our unity is in no way related to money, and it would be strange to think that this point would arouse our interest even now," the hierarch summarized.

Earlier, Metropolitan Hilarion expressed the opinion that the issue of autocephaly in Ukraine is exploited by the authorities for political purposes.

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