Source: Interfax-Religion
Moscow, February 5, 2016
Cathedral of the Resurrection, Rovno
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate has criticized the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.
"The Foreign Ministry is hiding encroachments on religious freedom and pressure on Ukrainian Orthodox Church communities," the Ukrainian Orthodox Church press service says.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry press service earlier stated at its public council session that there are "no encroachments based on religion" in Ukraine, calling the information on such discrimination "accusations made by the aggressor."
"The latest statement made by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry indicates that bias and religious discrimination are becoming part of the policies of this state agency," Ukrainian Orthodox Church said.
The statement says that some 30 communities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the Rovno, Ternopol and Volyn Regions are not able to pray in their churches "due to the raiding takeovers by supporters of the 'Kiev Patriarchate.'"
"There have been numerous instances of violence and intimidation against believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and some representatives of local authorities are violating the principle of equality of all citizens before the law and are openly lobbying the interests of the schismatics. Such instances have been registered by international human rights establishments and missions many times," the document says.
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church said Archpriest Nikolay Danilevich, deputy chairman of the department of external church relations of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, had spoken at the session and urged not to ignore the numerous violations of the rights of the flock and community of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
