The mayor of Khmelnytskyy, Oleksandr Simchyshyn, has said that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church “has a minimum of religiosity that is not worth talking about”. He said this in an interview with the publication zhar.org.ua.

“It was created as a political structure and has always fulfilled political tasks. A bunch of things that are voiced by representatives of the UOC during rallies, frankly contradict the Christian religion. This is unambiguously a political structure, and with hostile influence. I would classify them on the same level as other pro-Russian political forces, like the Communists,” the official said.

He added that the UOC is “the most aggressive confession of all the representatives of which I have communicated with. And many postulates of Christianity are built on forgiveness, on the will of God”.

“I, for example, consider myself a person of faith. When, for example, I come to Lviv, I calmly go to pray in the church. I am baptized not as Catholics, but as Orthodox Christians. I pray as I see fit. I go to the church of the UGCC or the OCU and pray just as calmly. By the way, once long ago I was in a mosque: I prayed and was baptized there. In Ukrainian! I can pray at Pentecostals or other Protestants, in an Anglican church,” – said Simchyshyn.

According to him, “you can pray even at home, sitting on a chair. Because it is impossible to take away faith and connection with God. Jesus Christ had no confessionalism at all. And the temple is only a building, a place of communion with God. And when it is given confessionalism, this is exactly what politicization consists in.