UOC Chancellor: Control over the Church – suicide for the state

The Chancellor of the UOC, Metropolitan Anthony(Pakanich) of Boryspil and Brovary noted that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church today is actually fighting for religious freedom and opposing attempts of the state to meddle in the Church’s affairs and control its internal life, reports the Information Center of the UOC.

"In our society today, there is no request for religious war," said Vladyka Anthony. "However, I get the impression that there are certain forces that want to form and support a request for such a war, such radicalism."

Metropolitan Anthony, arguing about attempts to put under strict control the activities of the UOC, said: "This is suicide for the state. After all, the Church is a significant part of the people, and it is counterproductive to refuse its own people to implement part of its fundamental rights or to make laws directed against its own citizens."

On September 7, the President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, stated that he would personally deal with the issue of the creation of the Unified Local Church in Ukraine.