OCU “Metropolitan”: The Moscow Patriarchate Is Infected with a Distorted Form of Christianity

“Metropolitan” of Poltava and Kremenchuk of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), Fedir (Bubniuk), made strong statements in an interview with local journalists, sharply criticizing those who maintain an indifferent stance — particularly regarding the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). He stated that “the Moscow Patriarchate is infected with ideas of distorted Christianity,” and referred to Christianity in Russia as “an interweaving of their own interpretation, but not Christianity itself,” as reported by Kremenchuk Gazette.

Bubniuk emphasized: “Even if a person is truly faithful, the Moscow Patriarchate is infected… It is the ‘Russian World’ that they have designed.”

According to the hierarch, supporting the UOC allegedly contributes to preserving the “Russian World” in Ukraine. He also connected religious indifference to broader issues of national identity:

“Indifference — the idea that ‘it doesn’t matter’ — has led us to the point where we now have to defend our statehood with weapons in hand.”

He also voiced the idea that an independent state must have an independent church and claimed that Russia, in his opinion, denies this canonical principle.

As a reminder, in the city of Kryukiv in Poltava Oblast, a provocative action took place during the Easter basket blessing near a church of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Two servicemen staged a so-called “informational flash mob,” standing with a placard behind believers who came to have their Easter food blessed. The action was titled “Easter Bread on Blood.”