Bishops Of Canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church Summoned To SBU 'for Talks' - Chief Lawyer

Bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), the only canonical Orthodox church in the country, are summoned "for talks" to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), head of the UOC-MP legal department, Archpriest Alexander Bakhov, said.

KIEV (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th November, 2018) Bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), the only canonical Orthodox church in the country, are summoned "for talks" to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), head of the UOC-MP legal department, Archpriest Alexander Bakhov, said.

"As it became known, the SBU began inviting some bishops of the UOC 'for talks' or 'for conversations.' After the recent events around the UOC, this is quite expected, even indicative, but I want to note that the procedural law does not contain such a form of communication as 'talk' or 'conversation.' Therefore, dear our bishops and priests, I doubt that they will talk with you about God," Bakhov said on Facebook.

Kiev authorities are working to establish a single local autocephalous (independent) church in the country based on the non-canonical Ukrainian orthodox churches. In mid-September, two exarchs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople started working in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate (UOC-KP), which came as part of Constantinople's preparations to grant autocephaly to the UOC-KP.

The initiative has been strongly criticized by the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC).

The ROC, in turn, has gone on to sever diplomatic ties with Constantinople. The ROC Holy Synod, the UOC-MP Holy Synod and the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) have also decided to suspend services with the hierarchs of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. At the same time, the Moscow Patriarchate has noted that none of the local churches supported the Ukrainian autocephaly project.

Father Superior of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra Metropolitan Pavel and other ROC and UOC-MP bishops and priests have earlier repeatedly said that Ukrainian nationalists had threatened to seize monasteries and churches belonging to the UOC-MP, and that Constantinople's decision might fuel the nationalists' efforts.