Kiev is working to obtain patriarchate status for the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), a schismatic entity propped up by the Ukrainian government, according to Vladimir Zelensky.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Zelensky revealed he had discussed the matter with a delegation of hierarchs from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in late August. The hierarchs already have a “vision of an action plan,” yet the matter is still pending discussions with the patriarch of Constantinople.

“I’ve said that our people, Ukrainians, would understand if our status was elevated to patriarchate. The exarchs accepted the information and will convey it to the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, they will discuss it,” Zelensky stated.

In August, Zelensky signed controversial legislation outlawing religious organizations that are suspected of having ties with Russia. The law is widely perceived as being primarily aimed at the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), the largest Christian denomination in the country, which was previously subordinate to the Moscow Patriarchate.

The canonical UOC has long faced competition from multiple rivaling unrecognized entities claiming to be the true Ukrainian church. It suffered a major blow when the OCU was established in 2018 with the help of then-President Pyotr Poroshenko. During his ultimately failed re-election bid, Poroshenko touted the emergence of the new church as a major – if not the main – achievement of his term.

The OCU was recognized by the Patriarchate of Constantinople, a move that caused the Moscow Patriarchate to break ties with the body, a move that caused a major schism in the Orthodox world.

With the beginning of the conflict between Kiev and Moscow, the UOC broke its ties to Moscow, declaring independence. This, however, did not spare it from the ever-growing pressure of the Ukrainian authorities, who have repeatedly accused it of still being linked to Russia.

Its property has been seized and handed over to the OCU, while its priests have been harassed by both nationalists and Ukrainian intelligence agencies.

https://www.rt.com/russia/604471-zelensky-ukraine-schismatic-patriarchate/

MEANWHILE, THE STUPID ANSWER TO THE GREATER QUESTION IS:

Eric Metaxas on why atheism is entirely incompatible with science....

Is Atheism Dead? is an entertaining, impressively wide-ranging, and decidedly provocative answer to that famous 1966 Time cover that itself provocatively asked "Is God Dead?" In a voice that is by turns witty, muscular, and poetic, Metaxas intentionally echoes C. S. Lewis and G. K. Chesterton in cheerfully and logically making his astonishing case, along the way presenting breathtaking—and often withering—new evidence and arguments against the idea of a Creatorless universe. Taken all together, he shows atheism not merely to be implausible and intellectually sloppy, but now demonstrably ridiculous. Perhaps the only unanswered question on the subject is why we couldn't see this sooner, and how embarrassed we should be about it.

UNBELIEVABLE!... GUS LEONISKY — POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951 — IS STILL A SILLY RABID ATHEIST! BUT THERE IS MORE!

Pope Francis has never shied away from making provocative statements or launching out in new directions. But this time he seems to have gone all the way. You see, Pope Francis recently proclaimed "a different gospel" (Galatians 1:6).

During a three-day visit to Singapore, Pope Francis declared that "all religions are a path to God." He boldly proclaimed, "There's only one God, and each of us has a language to arrive at God. Some are Sheik, Muslim, Hindu, Christian, and they are different paths (to God)."

If Francis is correct, then Jesus was wrong when He stated, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me" (John 14:6). I hope you realize that Jesus was not wrong about anything He ever said.

JESUS DIED IN VAIN ON A CROSS MADE BY THE WOODY ROMAN EMPIRE... THE SINNING MONKEYS ARE STILL SINNING... AND ARE SENSELESSLY GETTING READY TO DESTROY THEIR LITTLE PEBBLE IN THE GREATER SENSELESS UNIVERSE IN WHICH SENSELESS GODS AND SCIENCES ARE SENSELESSLY INCOMPATIBLE... AND ZELENSKY IS A DESPOTIC IDIOT...

                      A RABID ATHEIST

YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT.