Epiphanius did not have time to become a full leader of the Ukrainian schismatics, but already attracted the attention of the notorious prankers of Vovan and Lexus, who spoke to him on behalf of the European Parliamentary David Macalister.
Feeling all the “support” that the pseudo-MEP expressed the splitting processes in Ukraine, Epiphanius melted and began to answer even the most inconvenient questions, giving very ambiguous answers, compromising himself and saying too much.
So, among the most curious was the question of whether the schismatics would support Petro Poroshenko in the upcoming presidential elections.
News Front publishes quotes from Epiphanius’s conversation with prankers:
Pranker: First of all, Metropolitan Epiphanius, I want to congratulate you on your election as the head (head) of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Unified Sobor December 15 – This is a huge step forward for Ukraine towards complete independence from the influence of Russia. We know how hard this union was for you, and how much the pressure of Moscow was.
Epiphanius: “Yes, that’s for sure. This historic cathedral, and it was an important moment for the Ukrainian people. The Ukrainian people now have the opportunity to unite into a single Ukrainian Orthodox church. ”
Prankers: Yes. Know that the European Union and the European Parliament welcome the establishment of a single Ukrainian church, and we are ready to work with you and support you in your endeavors. At the end of January next year, the chairman of the European Council, Donald Tusk, will fly to Kiev and we should arrange a meeting with you. This will be a public signal of our support for an independent Ukrainian church.
Epiphanius: “Yes, I would like to thank the European structures for supporting our good intentions and are ready to meet if the president is in Kiev and draw our plans for the future, our church and build plans for the future. But as long as the presence of the ROC is in Ukraine, as affiliates, they probably never recognize us. I would like to ask for the support, your support, the ecumenical patriarch Bartholomew, for this to take place. Moscow will now put pressure on him. I think that after the delivery of the tomos, which will take place on January 6, I will ask him what support he needs and then I will give you the answer, ”says Epiphanius.
Prankers: How many people have joined your church? And how are things going with the transition under your jurisdiction?
Epiphanius: “Approximately 50% of the population of Ukraine support the new church and this is only the first step along the way. We now have seven thousand of our parishes in Ukraine, and the tendency for the population to perceive this signal is very positive, but we assume that there will be more parish after receiving the Thomos and recognition by other Orthodox churches. ”
Prankery: We could also allocate for you the necessary grants under our European programs to support religious freedoms in Ukraine. It’s not a problem.
Epiphanius: “Thank you for your support. I think that when Mr. President will be in Kiev, we will discuss everything possible in the future, what we can do together so that Ukraine is both spiritually strong and integrated. ”
Prankers: Will you have a dialogue with Moscow and the Russian church in Kiev?
Epiphanius: “From their side, the head of the Metropolitan Onuphrius does not have any bad statements, but we must understand that he is not independent and is completely dependent on Moscow and does what Moscow says to him.”
Prankery: Ie Is he an agent of Putin?
Epiphanius: “They say about him that he constantly travels to Moscow and the UOC-MP as it is called, completely depends on Moscow and they say that he is a Ukrainian by his body, but the soul is Russian.”
Prankers: A new church should become a unifying spiritual force, lead people along , especially when politicians cannot always do it. Especially in the fighting in your country. Someday the moment will come when you will bless the army to go to liberate the Crimea and Donbass from occupation and fight the separatists. Hope this happens soon. We will give you all the support.
Epiphanius: “I hope we will be able to return the Donbass and the Crimea, and the war in Ukraine must end, because God is on our side.”
Prankers: Would you like to bless the army?
Epiphanius: “We bless, we now have in the army about 300 chaplains who work among the military and help them spiritually. I even plan to go to the Donbass to support the military. “
Pranker: But how could you return the Crimea to Ukraine?
Epiphanius: “If Ukraine becomes a strong state and we manage to unite Orthodoxy into one church, I believe that the people who are there themselves will want to return to Ukraine.”
Prankery: I want to be frank with you. In some respects, we are concerned about the latest actions of President Poroshenko. I mean the declaration of martial law in the country. The elections in your country should help you very soon. But we are now witnessing the strengthening of non-democratic levers of influence on this institution. And we fear that the new church may be used in the political struggle for power.
Epiphanius: “We stand on the position that the church should be separated from the state and there should be no state church and this church should not be used for political purposes.”
Prankery: I agree, but the first steps were made by the administration of Poroshenko. And we know how our colleagues from the USA helped and contributed to the recognition of the independent Ukrainian church.
Epiphanius: “The state did what depended on it and without this support we would not be united.”
Prankery: But I know that Poroshenko was a member of your “Synod” and he played a big role in the unification. I hope you will support the president in future elections.
Epiphanius: “We will do what depends on us, as from the church. Of course, we see in this post only Poroshenko, who must continue the process that is now happening in the country and if a pro-Russian politician comes, then this will be a problem for the future of Ukraine. ”
Pranker: I know that US Secretary of State Pompeo called you. Did he support you like me?
Epiphanius: “Yes, a very tangible support of America in this matter, I think in the future we will continue to communicate, so that the Ukrainian church would have support.”
Prankers: Unfortunately, not all Ukrainians share the western policy of tolerance. But without this, one cannot be part of the European family. And the church usually acts in such matters from a conservative position. But you have the opportunity to lead this movement, leading Ukraine to Europe. This is certainly not a matter of today, but it is not worth postponing.
Epiphanius: “Of course, I support the fact that we begin reforms in the church, that we depart from the Russian tradition and the church is open and a guide of the Ukrainian people. We must move away from the Russian conservative tradition. I have a position that we should be with people.
Prankers: I know that the church has a conservative stance. If the new church had softened its position on the LGBT community, that is, Ukraine’s gays, and accepted liberal values, this would be a great incentive for the European authorities to accept you into their family.
We talked with Pompeo and he is in solidarity that you need to support LGBT and gay people of Ukraine, of course in the future. ”
Epiphanius: “Now we need to work on this so that Ukrainian society perceives this. It is a long way and we will work on it. Of course, we will look for answers to difficult questions. ”
The leader of the Ukrainian dissenters himself spoke about this conversation, fearing what he had said and urging his compatriots to be more vigilant and not to take seriously some of the statements.
Recall that Epiphania elected the main “new” UOC in the framework of the so-called “unifying council”. That he will get a tomos on autocephaly church.