UOC comments on the creation of "Romanian Orthodox Church of Ukraine"
Metropolitan Clement said the Romanian Church's decision was due to fears for the Romanian-speaking parishes in Ukraine caused by actions of the authorities and the OCU.
The head of the Synodal Information and Educational Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Clement of Nizhyn and Pryluky, commented on the decision of the Romanian Patriarchate to create the "Romanian Church of Ukraine".
He noted that the issue of the Ukrainian Parliament's ban on the UOC shocked not only compatriots but also received signals from abroad about concerns regarding the situation with fundamental European rights and freedom of conscience in Ukraine. He stated that the decisions of the Romanian Synod indicate that this concern is quickly turning into a practical dimension.
According to him, "By its decisions, the Romanian Church has shown to the whole world the fact of possible open state bans and persecutions of the UOC, part of which are Romanian-speaking parishes and monasteries in the territories adjacent to modern Romania."
"By offering its jurisdiction to such church units, the Romanian Church acknowledges the obvious danger that they may be outside the law in Ukraine, or worse – under direct prohibition. This is a loud signal to the Ukrainian parliament about how European politicians view Ukrainian policy and what consequences it will have," Metropolitan Clement emphasized.
At the same time, he noted that the decision of the Romanian Church Synod may indicate processes potentially threatening the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
"It is unclear whether we are talking about the idea of legal registration under Ukrainian laws or whether such a structure is already registered in Romania. In any case, it carries a danger not only to the church integrity but also to the state sovereignty on Ukrainian territory, historically associated with the Romanian state. You don't have to look far for examples. The same processes are already taking place in the south and east of our country," the hierarch noted.
"But there is another most important factor in all this – the faith and religious principles of those Orthodox ethnic Romanians to whom this tempting offer is addressed in the face of impending trials and possible persecutions," stressed the Metropolitan. "Everyone familiar with the actual church situation in Ukrainian Romanian-speaking regions will agree that this factor at the current stage leaves this initiative with very few real prospects."
Earlier, the UOJ reported that the Romanian Patriarchate established the "Romanian Orthodox Church of Ukraine".
