R.P.Ts. SPEAKS OF REPRIEVE OF PERSECUTION OF CANONICAL CHURCH UNDER ZELENSKY
Religiina Pravda, 30 April 2021
The Russian Orthodox Church [RPTs] thinks that with President Zelensky's taking office there occurred "a certain weakening of persecution of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church," compared with Poroshenko's presidency. The chairman of the synod's Department for Relations of Church and Society and News Media, Vladimir Legoida, talked about this in an interview with Rossiiskaya Gazeta, posted on the RPTs website.
"Upon the coming of President Zelensky to power, there was a certain weakening of persecution of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church. In contrast to President Poroshenko, who made the 'religion card' trump in his political game and consciously used the Ukrainian schism for political purposes, President Zelensky has not made this the substance of his political course. And this was perceived as a reprieve from persecution," the representative of the RPTs noted.
However, he said, "the government is not just the president, but also all possible state structures that are carrying out some tasks that often are previously established," and therefore "it is too early to be talking about the end of difficulties for the canonical church in Ukraine."
Legoida noted that "the downtrodden Ukraine and the Ukrainian church are still in a very difficult situation." (tr. by PDS, posted 30 April 2021)
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