Archbishop Daniil (Zelinsky) of Pamfilsky, Bishop of the Western Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the USA (Patriarchate of Constantinople), stated that “the door of the OCU is open to the people of Ukraine.” He wrote about this on his Facebook page.

According to the hierarch, today in Ukraine “church truth has been restored” through the provision of the “Tomos of Autocephaly” by the Patriarchate of Constantinople, and the people of Ukraine “are patronized by the OCU.”

He also said that “in recent days, many friends have been asking about the fact that the Orthodox Church is being ‘closed’ in Ukraine,” and lamented that “too many politicians and commentators in the United States do not understand the church reality in Ukraine at all.”

Archbishop Daniil believes that “the President of Ukraine and the state authorities skillfully proved to the society that the UOC-MP abused the people’s trust.”

Daniil Zelinsky is sure that “no rights of believers are violated in Ukraine at all.” “But if the clergy (especially bishops) are engaged in political propaganda for the benefit of the aggressor, then, as in any other society in the civilized world, one should expect a check on the activities of the church structure,” the bishop wrote.

He stressed that he “fully shares the opinion and approach of the government of Ukraine”, that “if the betrayal of the national and spiritual interests of the state is proved by practical actions, then measures should be taken to limit the activities of the “church” that manipulates the minds of believers.”

“Ukrainian Orthodoxy is not being oppressed – it is being cleansed and restored,” the representative of the Phanar said.