Head of the Kiev Patriarchate slandered Metropolitan Onuphry to Ukrainian parliament
March 21, 2017 – The head of the non-canonical Kiev Patriarchate, Philaret Denisenko, went before the Ukrainian parliament at a ceremonial meeting in honor of the centenary of the 1917-1921 Ukrainian revolution and called the clergy and faithful of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) “fools” for remaining canonical within the Moscow Patriarchate.
Not only did he insult the Orthodox Church, but he took the opportunity to publicly insult His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), considered by many a bulwark of Orthodox spirituality.
According to Mr. Denisenko, Metropolitan Onuphry refused to honor those whom President Poroshenko awarded as Heroes of Ukraine, declining to stand up for them and saying, “We cannot respect killers.” In his view, this means His Beatitude is unworthy to serve the Ukrainian state.
The Information-Education Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has repudiated this accusation today, saying, “It is impossible to find the source that this was quoted from, because it never belonged to His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry.”
Furthermore, the topic of celebrating Ukrainian heroes was never discussed between Philaret and His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry, so he certainly did not hear such a statement in person. Additionally, the Metropolitan has often visited frontline regions to support Ukrainian soldiers and the civilian population and he personally conducted funeral services over departed Ukrainian heroes.
Mr. Denisenko’s insult does not have a source and he has thus publicly defamed a public figure.
Sources
http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/102061.htm
http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/102000.htm
http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/98452.htm