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Orthodox Community of Moscow Patriarchate Opposes Visit of Patriarch Bartholomew to Ukraine

16.07.2008, [17:30] // UOC-MP //

Kyiv—The Orthodox community of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate of the Dnipropetrovsk region as well as of Ukraine in general, opposes the coming visit of Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople to Ukraine on the occasion of the 1020th anniversary of the baptism of Kyivan Rus. The news service “new-most.info” received this information from the participants of the picket in front of the Turkish Consulate in Dnipropetrovsk.

The All-Ukrainian Orthodox Brotherhood of St. Archistratig Michael of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church plans to hold the actions of protest near the Turkish Consulate from 16 July to 3 August. The participants of the picket believe that patriarch Bartholomew “brings” destruction to Orthodoxy in Ukraine.

“In its war against Orthodoxy, America relies on the Constantinople Patriarchate. The present Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople is a hostage of Turkey and USA, and is compelled to do whatever Washington dictates. One must take into account that Turkey means USA and NATO. Serbia is a vivid example of the destruction of Orthodox shrines, and the same can happen to Ukraine,” state the participants of the protest.

The Orthodox community of Dnipropetrovsk forwarded their statement protesting the patriarch’s visit to the honorary Consul General of Turkey in Dnipropetrovsk, Metropolitan Irynei of Dnipropetrovsk, and the city’s mayor.