The bishops of the Central Asian Metropolitan district addressed an open letter to President Petro Poroshenko and the Verkhovna Rada
The Synod of the Central Asian Metropolitan district appealed to the Ukrainian authorities to stop the pressure and discrimination against the canonical UOC.
The bishops of the Central Asian Metropolitan district addressed an open letter to President Petro Poroshenko and the Verkhovna Rada in connection with the situation associated with anticanonically actions of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Ukraine. About it reports a press-service of the Tashkent and Uzbekistan eparchy.
The bishops appealed to the Ukrainian authorities to comply with obligations in the framework of signed by Ukraine of a special resolution of the UN General Assembly “Enlightenment and religious tolerance.”
The Synod also called for an end to “all forms of pressure and discrimination in relation to the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the members of which is the absolute majority of Orthodox believers of Ukraine who love God, their faith, their Primate, his Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry and, of course, their Homeland, and as the true patriots of Ukraine continue to pray for the Worship services about the world in his native country.”
“In the last few months we witnessed the rude pressure from the Ukrainian authorities on the bishops, clergy and laity of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church that contradicts the Constitution of Ukraine and norms of international law. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church headed by its first Hierarch, his Beatitude Metropolitan of Kiev and all Ukraine Onuphrius has the absolute support of all local Orthodox Churches,” – said in an open letter.
The members of the Synod says: “in the Central Asian Metropolitan district has a population of over two million Orthodox believers, among whom there are Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Greeks, Uzbeks, Kyrgyz, Tajiks, Turkmens, Koreans and representatives of other nationalities In countries where 95% of the population profess a different faith – Islam, we try to live in peace and harmony with all people. The situation that occurs now in Ukraine, raises concerns including representatives of the Muslim population in a secular state is a government interference in the internal Affairs of the Church contrary to the Constitution of Ukraine and norms of international law”.
The ruling bishops of the dioceses of the Central Asian Metropolitan district also expressed their support to his Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry, the clergy and laity of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church: “We appeal with the words of encouragement and prayer support to a single canonical Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church his Beatitude Metropolitan of Kyiv and all Ukraine Onuphrius, and pray hard for him and the entire Ukrainian flock. We believe that the Lord after times of trial His good Providence will lead the life of the Church to peace and tranquility”.
An open letter to the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the statement in connection with anticanonically actions of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Ukraine was adopted on 20 December 2018 at the meeting of the Synod of the Central Asian Metropolitan district. The documents were signed by the head of Central Asian Metropolitan district, Metropolitan of Tashkent and Uzbekistan Vikenty, Archbishop of Pyatigorsk and Circassian Theophylact, Bishop of Dushanbe and Tajikistan Pitirim, Bishop of Bishkek and Kyrgyzstan Daniil.
As reported by PWC, informed by 47 deputies of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine appealed to the constitutional court in connection with state intervention in Church Affairs.