The recognition of the so-called Orthodox Church of Ukraine by other local churches will cause a new round of persecution of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, said the church historian and professor of Orthodox Saint Tikhon’s Orthodox University Vladislav Petrushko to RIA Novosti.
Earlier the Ukrainian schismatics were recognised by the Church of Greece and the Patriarchate of Alexandria, they added the name of the head of the “OCU” Epifany to their diptychs. Both churches, like the Patriarchate of Constantinople, are led by ethnic Greeks.
“Of course, the OCU will feel like it’s on horseback after such actions of the Greek hierarchs, and, of course, this may stimulate a campaign that started to subside, to capture temples and defame the canonical Church again. It is quite possible to expect a new round of persecution,” said Petrushko.
According to him, in this regard, nationalist forces in the country that support non-canonical Church structures will exert more pressure on the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky.
“Zelensky’s attempt to pacify the situation in the country is met with resistance from internal radical forces. But I think that they are spurred on from outside, so nothing good, unfortunately, can be forecasted,” added the spokesman of the agency.
In turn, the priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Archpriest Aleksandr Ovcharenko suggests that if the OCU is recognised by the Jerusalem Patriarchate, which is headed by Patriarch Theophilos, also a Greek by nationality, then the nationalists and schismatics inspired by this event will actually immediately and inevitably come for the Kiev-Pechersk and Pochayev Lavras.
“If the Jerusalem Orthodox Church is indeed next, which I personally have no doubts about, then attacks on Lavras can be expected in December of this year, especially since they (nationalists – ed) have already prepared the ground with new attempts and captures of temples and statements in the media, as well as the mood itself,” wrote Ovcharenko on his Telegram channel “Pravblog”.
RIA Novosti
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