Romanian Church: Clergy of Romanian communities in Ukraine belong to UOC

Vasile Bănescu, spokesperson for the Romanian Patriarchate. Photo: basilica.ro

Priests of the Romanian communities in Ukraine do not belong to the Romanian Patriarchate, but mostly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, reports basilica.ro, citing the spokesperson for the Romanian Patriarchate Vasile Bănescu.

According to the spokesman, Orthodox Romanians in Ukraine, including priests, " have the duty to conscience to adapt in a wise Christian, honest and realistic way" to respond to the "tragic reality" that exists in the country today.

"It is essential to preserve and cultivate the Christian conscience, fidelity to the truth of faith and the moral values born of it," Bănescu said.

At the same time, he stressed that the Romanian Orthodox Church advocates respect for the rights of the ethnic Romanian minority, preserving its linguistic, religious and cultural identity in all countries, not only in Ukraine.

As noted by basilica.ro, according to the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, in Ukraine, there are more than 120 Romanian Orthodox parishes, located mainly in the northern part of the Chernivtsi-Bukovyna Eparchy of the UOC.

As earlier reported, Romanian politician Gelu Visan harshly criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Romania TV because of the repression against the UOC. In particular, Visan accused Zelenskyy of planning to close "100 Romanian churches".

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