Russian President's Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov says the Kremlin cannot support the creation of Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), calling it a "split."
Read alsoUPDATE: Ukraine asks Constantinople to allow creation of independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church"You are aware of the position of the Russian Orthodox Church and Patriarch of [Moscow] and all Russia [Kirill] on the issue. And of course, some actions aimed at splitting the church can hardly be supported and are unlikely to be welcomed," Peskov said on April 19, answering a question from an UNIAN correspondent.
As UNIAN reported earlier, on April 17, at a meeting with leaders of parliamentary factions, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko announced that he and hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church decided to officially address Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I to grant the Tomos of Autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and asked the parliament to support the move.
Read alsoUkraine's parliament backs appeal to Bartholomew to create independent UOCOn April 19, Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, adopted a resolution in support of the appeal by the president to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I to recognize the independence of Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
