President Poroshenko: we will not just be mere observers when another country uses feelings of Ukrainian Orthodox believers in its own interests

"We won’t be just passive observers when another state interferes in our church affairs, its attempts to use the feelings of the Ukrainian Orthodox believers in its interests. This is one of the reasons why the Verkhovna Rada reasonably appealed to the Archbishop of Constantinople and New Rome Patriarch Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople of the Eastern Orthodox Church Bartholomew I to accelerate the speed of giving the status of autocephalous church to Orthodox Church in Ukraine. The process should be based on the ancient canonical principle - civil and land divisions should result in separation of church affairs," said Poroshenko.

The President noted that Kyiv received the news with great hope that the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Constantinople will set up a special commission to study the declaration passed by Ukrainian parliament.

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