OCU calls Primate of the Orthodox Church of America a “Trojan horse” and his visit to Ukraine a “tour”

Andriy Kovalyov, former press secretary of the head of the UOC-KP, Filaret Denysenko, and now a well-known lobbyist of the OCU in the mass media, called the visit of the Primate of the Orthodox Church of America to Ukraine a “tour” and the hierarch himself a “Trojan horse”. Kovalyov believes that the SSU should deal with the visit of His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon of Washington. About this he wrote on his page in Facebook.

“The security service of Ukraine missed, or deliberately allowed the Moscow special operation in Ukraine? A citizen of the United States of America came to Ukraine, which the Moscow patriarchate in Ukraine welcomes as the Messiah. What is going on? Metropolitan Tikhon, in the world Mark Raymond Mollard, a citizen of the United States of America, has come to Ukraine. He calls himself Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of all America and Canada, but not everyone in the Orthodox world agrees with this title,” — Kovalyov writes.

Kovalyov argues that since the Orthodox Church of America received autocephaly from the Russian Orthodox Church, it means that its Primate, Metropolitan Tikhon, is a subordinate of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. Following from this, the “expert” concludes that the visit of the Primate of the OCA is an operation of the Russian secret services.

“Under the conditions of Russian aggression against Ukraine, the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine led by Metropolitan Onufry (Berezovsky) found itself in a deadlock. Cyril Gundyaev, who is blessing the war against Ukraine and his representatives cannot come to Ukraine, neither can anyone from the recognized Local Orthodox Churches come to Onufry and serve with him. But Russian agents in cassocks need a show! The only one who can come to Ukraine more or less unhindered and express solidarity with the Moscow patriarchate in Ukraine is Gundyaev’s subordinate from the United States — Tikhon Mollard,” — the ‘expert’ continued.

Kovalyov worries that after his visit to Ukraine, Metropolitan Tikhon, returning to the United States, will tell there about the “alleged persecution” of the UOC, than will be able to block military support for Ukraine.

“First, the Rpts in Ukraine want to mobilize their adherents and show that someone recognizes them and someone comes to them and even prays in English. Second, Mollard is a classic Trojan horse. Here he will tell you, publicly, that “We support all efforts of Ukraine to defend its borders and its sovereignty from Russian aggression,” but in parallel Mollard is voicing Russian narratives in English about the alleged “persecution” of the Moscow patriarchate in Ukraine. Third, Mollard’s visit to Ukraine is a manifestation of solidarity and support for the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine — that is, Russian agents and saboteurs in cassocks. In particular, Mollard has already visited Bancheni, where he supported the defendant Russian agent “Longin” Zhar. Fourthly, after his trip to Ukraine, Mollard will return to the U.S., where he will talk about the alleged “persecution” of the Moscow patriarchate in Ukraine, will meet with American politicians and journalists. His task is the minimum to undermine the confidence of American elites in Ukraine, and the maximum task is to disrupt the support of Ukraine by the United States and to disrupt the supply of American weapons to Ukraine», — wrote Andriy Kovalyov.

We will remind, earlier we reported that the Primate of the Orthodox Church of America Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of all America and Canada Tikhon called on the Ukrainian government to respect religious freedom. The First Hierarch noted that this request was motivated by his love and support for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.