orthodoxrights.org

April 29, 2016. The real cause lying behind the decision of the Ministry of Culture to deliver the Refectory Church in the National Sanctuary Complex ‘Sophia of Kiev’ to the UOC-KP through the violation of all legal norms have logical explanations. This fact is proven by a journalistic investigation published by GolosTV UA media group, as reports Union of Orthodox Journalists website.

‘In order to offer this church for worship, it was indispensable to go through very complex approval procedures with various institutions including UNESCO. And this was done without coordination. So the Minister of Culture wanted and so he has done. And the question is – why the Kiev Patriarchate? There is a canonical Church in Ukraine – Ukrainian Orthodox Church recognized by the whole world and headed by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphriy’ – says the People’s Deputy of Ukraine, member of the Parliamentary Committee on Culture and Spirituality, Vadim Novinsky.

According to experts, the decision to allow UOC-KP to hold worship in St. Sophia was biased because the head of the Regulatory Authority for related legislative issues, the former Minister of Culture, Vyacheslav Kirilenko is directly related to the Supreme Church Council of the UOC KP.

‘Vyacheslav Kirilenko is a member of the supreme governing body of the Kiev Patriarchate, misusing his office. He offered a national treasure to his organization,’ – as explains the political commentator Paul Karnazytsky.

Let’s recall that in February this Refectory Church of the National Sanctuary Complex ‘Sophia of Kiev’, a unique world-class monument, listed among protected monuments of UNESCO, was open for the worship of the UOC-KP.