Poroshenko: Patriarch Kirill has no right to veto decision on autocephaly to Ukrainian Orthodox Church

President Petro Poroshenko states that nobody, including the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, has the right to veto the decision of the Ecumenical Patriarch on grating the autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

He stated this during the Svoboda Slova talk show on ICTV channel, when asked whether Patriarch Kirill could stop the process of granting the tomos of autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

At the same time, Poroshenko stressed that since the beginning of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, he had not spoken to the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church.

He added that “it would be an ideal scenario for me that along with Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, all the Orthodox Churches, including the Russian Patriarch, confirm our autocephaly”.

“This is the only way to clean itself at least somehow from the anger and sins committed by Russian military, propagandists and sometimes, unfortunately, Russian priests on the territory of Ukraine," Poroshenko emphasized and added that he believed that it could happen.

As reported, President Poroshenko on April 17 sated he had prepared an appeal on granting the tomos for the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine.

On April 18, President Poroshenko met with the Primates of the Orthodox Churches of Ukraine and formally accepted the appeal on granting the tomos of autocephaly to the Ukrainian church signed by all the hierarchs who supported this decision to convey it to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

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