ROC: The legitimization of the schism in Ukraine could lead to bloodshed

Ukrainian radicals have repeatedly threatened to seize shrines of the UOC

The realization of these plans could lead to bloodshed, said Metropolitan Hilarion, the head of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, in an interview with the Greek news agency Romfea.

"Filaret Denysenko [leader of the self-proclaimed Kiev Patriarchate] has deceived people using various methods for 25 years. He is now trying to convince people that the Constantinople Patriarchate will grant autocephaly to his structure in the near future. [...] He is also saying that the Kiev Pechersk Lavra and the Pochaev Lavra will need to join this new church structure as soon as it is created," Metropolitan Hilarion noted.

In his opinion, the realization of these plans may have tragic consequences, as believers will just not give away their monasteries.

"Some 50 churches of the canonical Ukrainian Church have now been illegally taken over by schismatics. Orthodox Christians are being subjected to violence. Imagine what will happen if schismatics start taking over monasteries. Thousands of people will come together to defend them, blood will be shed," the metropolitan said, adding that "this should be prevented by all means."

The head of the unrecognized UOC KP Filaret has repeatedly stated that the state should transfer both Lavras to the ownership of "its Church".

Earlier, Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich) of Borispol and Brovary has said that Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople considers the head of the UOC KP and his organization as schismatics, and the people who are spreading rumors that a tomos on autocephaly has already been written are enemies of the Constantinople Patriarchate.

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