A significant blow to the Holy Church and the Ukrainian people was made by Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, who recognized the schismatics by his sole, and not by a conciliar decision. “Patriarch Bartholomew was guided not by canons, but by political expediency,” said Archbishop Nikolai Vasilkovsky, according to the Information and Education Department of the UOC.

“We see that on the one hand, Patriarch Bartholomew violated the canons, and on the other hand, the state violated the laws and the Constitution. We see what this has led to: the shedding of blood, the seizure of temples, ”said the hierarch.

The consequence of the actions of the Patriarch of Constantinople and the state authorities, according to Vladyka Nicholas, is a big crisis in Ukraine. “The villages where the seizures of the temples take place are divided in themselves. Neighbors don’t want to know each other now. People who were relatives became enemies in one particular village. And then what can we say about all of Ukraine?” hierarch continued.

The Bishop of the UOC drew attention to the fact that instead of taking care of the citizens of Ukraine, providing them with free education, treatment, a decent life, etc., they are, as it were, “put on a headband to look for enemies where they are not.” “Our UOC has never been and will never be an enemy for the state, we are citizens of Ukraine, we want peace and prosperity,” he said.