Political expert: Religious conflict is the hardest to extinguish

Konstantin Bondarenko. Photo: file.liga.net

Political expert Konstantin Bondarenko believes that the religious conflict that is escalating in Ukraine is a very dangerous phenomenon that will be difficult to put out.

In an interview with Aleksandr Shelest, Bondarenko said that at the moment in Ukraine in the church issue "someone is taking the side of the government and the OCU serving it, someone is taking the side of the persecuted UOC".

"As far as the authorities are concerned, they are playing with a very complicated phenomenon because the religious conflict is the most difficult to extinguish. If only a religious conflict breaks out, it is very difficult to find rational ways to stop it," he stressed.

Bondarenko stressed that "the most brutal wars are religious and sectarian ones. And God forbid it should come to the situation when we have an argument between representatives of different currents in Orthodoxy.

"Because it will be quite difficult to stop this and to achieve some kind of inter-faith peace. We will get our own Sunnis and Shiites, who will clarify these relations, perhaps, for decades and centuries," says the political scientist.

As earlier reported, political analyst Dmytro Korneychuk said that it seemed that the processes of destroying the UOC had been sanctioned by the Kremlin.

Read also

OCU chaplain: A soldier should not feel guilty for killing enemies

According to a cleric of the OCU, the word “killing” should not even be used in this context.

AFU servicewoman punished by “being sent to the frontline” for defending UOC

An OCU representative explained how commanders punish UOC believers who defend their Church.

UOC church seized after OCU's and UGCC's provocation at soldier's funeral

Supporters of the UGCC brought the body of a soldier into the church, pressuring a UOC priest to conduct the funeral according to the Greek Catholic rite in an Orthodox church.

UOC hierarch calls on the faithful to pray for the return of seized shrine

Metropolitan Theodosiy urged the faithful to communal and personal prayer to Archangel Michael.

Russian Orthodox Church Primate: Christ did not condemn death penalty

The Patriarch added that, although the Church does not welcome the death penalty, it has never condemned it if this punishment is carried out in accordance with the law.

Metropolitan Jonathan appeals sentence to Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has requested criminal case files from the Vinnytsia City Court for cassation review.