If the pressure on the UOC from the authorities intensifies, it will end in the same way as in Montenegro: the Orthodox people will take to the streets by the millions, Deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate Archbishop of Vladikavkaz and Alan Leonid said in an interview with the Dimokratiki Tis Rodu newspaper.

“It is impossible to liquidate the largest confession in the country by one political decision. The steadfastness shown by the believers of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church is shocking. These are courageous and pious people – real confessors. There are almost no cases when, when capturing a temple, they allowed themselves to be drawn into a fight, responded with blow for blow. Communities that have lost their temples and illegally deprived of their legal registration do not disintegrate. They continue to pray and worship, often at home and sometimes on the street. Many of them are already building new temples for themselves.

The flock of the Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine Onufriy has a firm, active civic position and the intention to defend themselves within the framework of the law. A million signatures were collected against new discriminatory bills in just a few days – these signatures were taken directly to the President’s Office. I think if the pressure from the authorities intensifies, it will end in the same way as in Montenegro: the Orthodox people will take to the streets in millions, ”the hierarch said.