News

Patriarch Kirill hopes for end to discrimination against Orthodox Christians in Ukraine under new president

Strasbourg, May 27, Interfax - Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia hopes that the discrimination against Orthodox Christians will stop in Ukraine after the election of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky.

"The rights of very many Orthodox Christians were rudely violated in Ukraine," the patriarch told reporters at Strasbourg Airport at the end of his visit to France.

"These violations caused real suffering, simply for the fact that they wanted to remain Orthodox and wanted to remain members of the Russian Orthodox Church," he said.

"Recent changes that have taken place in Ukraine in connection with the election of the new president certainly give some hope," the patriarch said.

"I know the opinions of many Orthodox Ukrainians; they link this choice [of the new president] to positive changes, such as discrimination for belonging to an Orthodox jurisdiction stopping and all people having equal rights. I share these hopes of Ukrainians in connection with Mr. Zelensky's election," Patriarch Kirill said.

"I very much hope that this Neanderthal policy where decent citizens are discriminated for belonging to a certain religious organization is absolutely unacceptable not only in Europe but also in most countries, will be forever abandoned in the life of Ukrainians," he said.

"I believe that my interlocutors here in Strasbourg share these hopes," the patriarch said.

As previously reported, Patriarch Kirill had meetings with Council of Europe Secretary General Torbjorn Jagland and Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner Dunja Mijatovic.

Print this page

Home

News

.	Customize latest news

• Zelensky urges clerics to back Ukraine's initiatives in run-up to Normandy-format summit 05 December 2019, 13:54
• Saint Isaac's Cathedral and 5 other churchs in St. Petersburg received bomb threats 05 December 2019, 13:52
• Serbian president invites Putin to attend opening of St. Sava Cathedral in Belgrade 04 December 2019, 19:35
• Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral alerted to bomb threat 03 December 2019, 20:55
• One year on OCU defectors account for less than 1% of our parishes - UOC 03 December 2019, 18:46
• Moscow Jewish Museum to break stereotypes - director 03 December 2019, 17:26
• FSB reports detention of 9 Hizb ut-Tahrir members recruited Muslims 03 December 2019, 14:12
• Russian Bishops' Council to assess global Orthodox situation in near future 02 December 2019, 20:27
• Ukrainian Orthodox Church calls for end of infowar between Ukraine, Russia 02 December 2019, 18:45
• Russian Patriarch Kirill invited to Estonia by country's Lutheran leader 29 November 2019, 18:31
• Moscow court arrests U.S. rabbi in absentia in Schneerson library case 29 November 2019, 13:56
• Putin notes importance of coordination with OIC in countering threats 29 November 2019, 12:04
• Abortion rate in Russia declines considerably in past 18 years 28 November 2019, 19:06
• Patriarch of Alexandria sends kisses to head of OCU 28 November 2019, 18:29
• FJCR sees plans to arrest U.S. rabbi in Schneerson library case as absurd 28 November 2019, 17:23
• Bulgarian Church takes step toward recognizing OCU 28 November 2019, 17:21
• Ukraine has seen no attacks motivated by anti-Semitism in past 3 years - Association of Jewish Communities 27 November 2019, 17:18
• ROCOR to build new church in U.S 27 November 2019, 17:17
• Orthodox priest in Russia's Jewish Autonomous Region suspected of child molestation 26 November 2019, 14:25
• Georgian patriarch, foreign ambassadors discuss detention of doctor Gaprindashvili in S. Ossetia 26 November 2019, 10:07
• Interreligious Council of Russia calls on int'l community to restore Middle East's holy sites 25 November 2019, 20:28
• Sholem Aleichem monument vandalized near synagogue in Kiev 25 November 2019, 18:46
• Russian parliament, govt agree that extra measures needed to fight domestic violence - Matviyenko 25 November 2019, 16:06
• Russian Orthodox Church cautions against combating domestic violence with Western methods 25 November 2019, 16:05
• Patriarch Kirill suspends operation of Alexandria Patriarchate's Moscow mission 25 November 2019, 11:35
• Meeting between heads of Churches important in crisis in inter-Orthodox relations - Metropolitan Hilarion 22 November 2019, 15:41
• Russian Orthodox Church welcomes Jerusalem patriarch's proposal of Church leaders' meeting to settle differences 21 November 2019, 20:50
• Patriarch of Jerusalem awarded for strengthening Orthodox Christian unity 21 November 2019, 20:47
• Patriarch of Jerusalem initiates meeting of heads of local churches in Amman with view to preserving church unity 21 November 2019, 17:22
• Putin stresses importance of joint efforts to protect Christians in Middle East 20 November 2019, 21:09

Other news