Poroshenko about the events in Chernivtsi: “If the community voted to transfer the church to the OCU, but people did not come out, nothing will happen”

Former Ukrainian President and ideologist behind the creation of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, People’s Deputy Petro Poroshenko, criticized Chernivtsi residents for their passivity regarding the seizure of Ukrainian Orthodox Church temples in the city. The ex-president noted that if people decided to transfer a church from the UOC to the OCU, they should not have expected the local authorities or police to help them take over the building. According to Poroshenko, citizens should independently influence the state of affairs and change the situation in this matter. He spoke about this during his recent visit to Chernivtsi.

«We must have political will. We must not fight, as some are calling on us to do. But when the community decided to transfer the church to the OCU, Ukrainians must be there. And here I cannot just point the finger at the authorities. Because if the community voted to transfer the church to the OCU, but the people did not come out, nothing will happen. The police and the regional administration will not resolve this issue. This is not a matter for the police. On the contrary, by involving the police, we are only playing into the hands of the Russians, who claim that our church is being held together by police force. This is wrong. Therefore, this case means one thing: the church, God forgive me, has failed. Ukrainian patriots have failed. If it makes you feel better, Poroshenko has also failed, although I did not know about this incident. Next time, call me, I will come and we will go together — not to fight, but to pray. And God will help us,» — Poroshenko said.

The former president added that supporters of the OCU should also demand that the Ministry of Justice rename the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to the “Russian Church in Ukraine.” Poroshenko believes that “political will” is necessary to make such a decision.

«If the church is called Russian, it should be called Russian. And we must go to the Ministry of Justice, to the regional authorities, and demand: rename the church, because the law requires it. Just as I demanded a vote in the Verkhovna Rada to ban the Moscow church. I succeeded. So you will succeed too. But this is a matter for Chernivtsi, for those who live here and care. Because without victory, in particular, for the church in Chernivtsi, there will be no overall victory in Ukraine,» — the politician is convinced.

Earlier, we reported that former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko celebrated Pentecost at the Resurrection Cathedral of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Kyiv. In his welcoming speech, the head of the European Solidarity political party said that for him, “the Trinity is the army, language, and faith.”