Former MP: Onufriy sacrificed himself to preserve the "Moscow Patriarchate"

Former Ukrainian MP and publicist Oleksandr Bryhynets believes that the revocation of Metropolitan Onufriy’s citizenship was a kind of “sacrificial operation,” coordinated between the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the authorities, with the aim of preserving the position of the “Moscow Patriarchate” in Ukraine. He made this statement on his YouTube channel.

“Onufriy saved the Moscow Patriarchate — that is indeed true. The choice was this: either they destroy the Moscow Patriarchate or they destroy Onufriy,” Bryhynets said.

In his opinion, Metropolitan Onufriy agreed to become a “scapegoat” to deflect pressure from the UOC.

Bryhynets also noted that the loss of citizenship does not prevent the metropolitan from continuing his religious life: “So what if he’s not a citizen? He can pray and serve in the same place as before. The law allows foreigners to serve in Ukraine, though it does not allow them to lead churches. That is true.”

He added that a new figure might soon be appointed “at the initiative of Metropolitan Onufriy himself and with the approval of the President’s Office,” who would take over leadership functions while continuing the same course: “They’ll choose someone who will do the same dirty work, but less visibly.”

It should also be recalled that Ukrainian political analyst Kostyantyn Bondarenko commented on President Volodymyr Zelensky’s decision to revoke the citizenship of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy of Kyiv and All Ukraine. The analyst criticized Zelensky for this political move, comparing him to the biblical figure Judas Iscariot.