On May 19, archbishop of Syktyvkar and Komi-Zyryansky Pitirim posted an appeal to the floc on his page in 'VKontakte': he accused the Ukrainian authorities of trying to split the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
We are talking about draft laws No. 4128 'On Amending the Law of Ukraine on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations' and No. 4511 'On the special status of religious organizations whose governing centers are in a state recognized by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine as an aggressor country'. It is assumed that bill No. 4128 will allow members of individual communities to independently shape destiny of the curacy and change its jurisdiction. The website ‘Orthodoxy and Peace’ expressed concern that this could lead to raider seizures of churches, including the Kyivan Patriarchate, seeking to withdraw the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Archbishop Pitirim in his message spoke about new bills as being antichurch, antistate and antinational.
'Raskolniki from the so-called ‘Kyiv Patriarchate’ continue to create lawlessness with special cunning and insidiousness, implying the mask of fighters for peace in Ukraine,' Pitirim said emotionally. 'It is not surprising that in the midst of discussions about the acceptance or non-acceptance of the above bills, the temples of the Moscow Patriarchate were captured in Ternopolskaya and Khmelnytskaya dioceses. What other proof of the bestial, wolfish grin from under sheep's skins is needed?’
The Verkhovna Rada was to consider the draft laws on May 18. But the deputies did not have time to discuss it, and the consideration was postponed for an indefinite period. The draft laws cause an ambiguous reaction in Ukraine itself.
Elena Solovyova, «7x7»
