The Russian Orthodox Church
Department for External Church Relations
Department for External Church Relations
The Russian Orthodox Church
Department for External Church Relations
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V. R. Legoida: Spiritual brotherhood of the Ukrainian and Russian Churches is the main bond tying the peoples of Russia and Ukraine
“The desire to make the Ukrainian Orthodox Church change its name is an attempt to continue the policy the proxies of which seek to present the Church as an agent of a foreign state, which does not correspond to reality, since the self-determination of the Russian Orthodox Church lies in the absence of linkage with a particular state”, he said.
Mr. Legoida also stressed that His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and other representatives of the clergy have repeatedly pointed out that the Russian Church is not a Church of the Russian Federation.
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church enjoys the broadest rights of self-governance and solves all the problems of her internal life independently and its clergy and parishioners are citizens of Ukraine, he added.
“The Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s relation with the Russian Church is an exclusively symbolic spiritual and historical unity. I do not understand why anyone should seek to break this relation. Political borders in today’s world is something much more agile. The spiritual brotherhood of the two Churches is the main bond that ties the peoples of Russia and Ukraine”, he continued.
According to Mr. Legoida, today it is important to underline and preserve this unity, rather than to continue putting pressure on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church with the aim to play a certain political game.
Responsible politicians cannot ignore so serious a demand of their citizens as those voiced a few days ago during the mass prayer vigil of Orthodox believers at the walls of the Ukrainian Parliament and Presidential Office, Mr. Legoida said in conclusion expressing a hope that Vladimir Zelensky will listen to the opinion of Ukrainians who came out to that rally.
Synodal Department for the Church’s Relations with Society and Mass Media/
RECD Communication Service
Patriarch
Department Chairman
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