Kiev, July 6, 2020
Photo: Facebook
Ukraine is following in the footsteps of American democracy and freedom, and the creation of the “Orthodox Church of Ukraine,” unrecognized by the majority of the Orthodox world, is proof of this path, believes Epiphany Dumenko, the head of the schismatic OCU.
Congratulating all “brothers and sisters in Christ and all U.S. citizens who are celebrating the 244th anniversary of their country’s independence,” Dumenko stressed in a message on his Facebook page that “America is not called the country of freedoms, rights, and opportunities for nothing.”
He became convinced of this during his visit to the United States last year to receive a human rights award from the Archons of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.
In his opinion, “for more than two centuries, this country has personified for many in the world the epitome of civil liberties, the defense of democracy, and the opportunity to realize your dreams.”
He continues:
When the new state was established, these values were based on understanding and respect for God’s Law, as well as the inalienable human rights granted by the Creator—the right to life and freedom. And I felt this spirit of respect and freedom during the joint service at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in New York, where prayers were offered in Ukrainian, English, and Greek, as well as during the awarding of the distinguished honor—the Athenagoras Human rights Award, and during numerous meetings with clergy, public figures, representatives of international organizations, state institutions of America, and the Ukrainian diaspora.
“Freedom is not free” the schismatic head recalls, noting that America has been walking the path of establishing and confirming democracy for more than 200 years, “and our country is also following this path of truth and freedom.”
“Although it doesn’t come easy to us, we already have outstanding achievements on this path. In particular, we have won back the independence of the Local Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is the foundation, the spiritual basis of an independent Ukraine,” Epiphany believes.
He concludes by wishing the American people a happy Independence Day: “Congratulating all Americans on their great national holiday, independence Day, I wish them to overcome modern challenges and contradictions, a peaceful, prosperous future, new achievements and all the best. I also wish you a speedy end to the pandemic and welcome you to Ukraine, a country with a 1,000-year history, rich cultural and spiritual traditions, and friendly and sincere people!”
Recall that hierarchs of the OCU have publicly acknowledged that their church was created in late 2018 and given autocephaly in early 2019 by the Patriarchate of Constantinople thanks to the support of the U.S. State Dept. and the governments of other Western powers.
During a meeting between Dumenko and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Ukraine in January, an agreement was reached with the State Dept. on further support for bilateral cooperation, “especially in the field of protecting the freedom of conscience and religion.”
In March, Ambassador Samuel Brownback declared in an interview that the State Dept. does not interfere in the internal affairs of the Church in Ukraine, but only supports the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
