Epiphany Dumenko accuses the ROC of being loyal to the state and authorities

The head of the OCU, Epiphany Dumenko, has sharply criticized the Russian Orthodox Church, calling it «a state church that uses religion to subjugate the people to the Kremlin authorities.» This statement was made in Prague as part of a panel discussion «Religion and the Russian Threat: Yesterday and Today» at Forum 2000.

According to the official website of the OCU, Dumenko emphasized the fundamental difference in the perception of Orthodoxy in Ukraine and Russia. According to him, for the OCU, «Orthodox Christianity is the path of truth and a way of life aimed at saving the soul,» while for Russia, «faith and the Church have become tools to expand the influence of the state.»

«For us, God comes first, and for the followers of the Russian world ideology, the Russian state and the power that this state represents come first,» said the head of the OCU.

At the same time, he noted that for the OCU, «patriotism is the embodiment of Christ’s commandment to love one’s neighbor,» and the OCU recognizes itself as a «people’s church,» an integral part of society.

As a reminder, on February 7, 2025, while participating in the Ukrainian Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., the head of the OCU, Epiphany Dumenko, made a speech in which he hinted at the need to restore Ukraine’s nuclear status. Dumenko complained that Ukraine had once abandoned nuclear weapons, which resulted in the invasion of Russia. Now, in his opinion, in order for the country to withstand Russian aggression, it needs «the very sword» that will help Ukraine to withstand.