“following such actions, Russian propagandists use footage of the raids as evidence of "defending Orthodoxy" from Ukraine
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“some of the activists attacking churches of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church may be connected to Russian special services
“militants who seize churches may be doing so on orders from Russian special services
“the Russian government is waging an unjust war against its “Orthodox neighbor,” Ukraine, with the full approval of the Moscow Patriarchate, which has even blessed the conflict as a “holy war.”
“What is happening recalls the processes surrounding the Ukrainian Orthodox Church
“All these events remind us to some extent of our own time, in which the zealous followers of the Russian Patriarchate act in the same way as the opponents of the Apostle Paul,” he said. “They accuse us, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, because we did not receive recognition from them or according to rules they invented. They interpret our humility and patience towards the continued existence in Ukraine of a jurisdiction subordinate to Moscow, as well as our calls for dialogue and ecclesiastical peace, as supposed evidence of our weakness and their own correctness.
“Of particular concern to believing citizens of Ukraine is the fact that in recent years, under the pretext of ‘preserving cultural heritage,’ religious communities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church have been deprived en masse of the right to pray in their historic churches
“If we want to make accusations against a particular parish or church, we have to address each parish separately and produce tangible, real evidence that they are cooperating with Russia
“zealous followers of the Russian Patriarchate act in the same way as the opponents of the Apostle Paul did