Translated by Ollie Richardson & Angelina Siard
22:03:09
22/11/2018
news.church.ua
The local administrations were tasked with involving school students in events in support of “Tomos“ in the Nikolaev region. At the same time, in the Zaporozhye region directors of institutions for the social protection of children were asked to ensure the participation of their proteges in the “baptism” that will be carried out by a “bishop of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate“. This was reported by the Information- educational department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church [Moscow Patriarchate – ed].
The letter from the administration of the Zavodsky district of Nikolaev was sent to the head of the education department of the Nikolaev City Council on November 20th, 2018 for the implementation of the instruction of the President and the Nikolaev regional state administration. This document was published on social networks by indignant parents.
Teachers were asked to ensure the organisation of events “concerning the granting of Tomos to Ukraine and the contribution of the President of Ukraine P. A. Poroshenko to the development of Christianity in Ukraine” in the assembly halls of the educational institutions of Nikolaev before November 23rd, 2018. For this purpose they are supposed to sort out the arrival of pupils from the 10th-11th classes from the settlements of the Nikolaev region in their maximum quantity for participation in events.
The day prior, on November 19th, the Service for children of the Zaporozhye regional state administration sent a directive to leaders of regional establishments for the social protection of children. Metropolitan Luke of Zaporozhye and Melitopol, who published the document, noted that this fact unambiguously shows which religious organisations are more acceptable for the authorities.
The specified document announces the holding of a children’s international festival of arts “Divosvit”, which will take place with the assistance of the “Zaporozhye diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate” and the “bishop Fotiy of Zaporozhye and Melitopol” personally. The chief of service for children A. Matveyeva reports that within the framework of the festival an “extraordinary event” will happen — the “baptism” of children from orphanages in the temple museum on Khortytsia island, and “asks for assistance” from subordinated establishments in ensuring the participation of their proteges in this event.
According to Metropolitan Luke, “the fact that the ‘Local Orthodox Church’, which is being created for the sake of political propaganda, doesn’t yet exist, while the authorities already try to support the structure so necessary for it, causes surprise.”
“Despite President Poroshenko stating more than once that ‘we didn’t have, we don’t have, and we won’t have a state Church’, and that there will be no selective decision and privileges between the churches of Ukraine, in practice we face the contrary,” stressed the bishop.
He noted that while “the clergy of our Ukrainian Orthodox Church is being ‘invited’ for heart-to-heart talks in the SBU, not only is free advertising being made for the representatives of the ‘Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate’, but state structures are also softly forced to provide all kinds of support”.
Lastly, Metropolitan Luke addressed to the employees of state bodies with wishes that their acts coincide both with their words and their conscience. “Don’t forget that it is possible to deceive a person, but never God!”, he reminded.
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