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Ukrainian Orthodox Church asks laymen to stop using Church symbols in political rhetorics

KIEV, December 05, 22:39 /ITAR-TASS/. Ukrainian Orthodox Church does not stand in need of advertising through political actions, the Reverend Georgy Kovalenko, an official spokesman for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church reporting to the Moscow Patriarchate told said Thursday.

He expressed surprise over the installation of the “tent churches” on Independence Square /the Maidan/, saying: “The Orthodox Church didn’t bless the placement of these tents near the Verkhovna Rada and it won’t bless them on the Maidan.”

The Rev Kovalenko admitted, though, that Orthodox priests could be seen among the protesters on Kiev streets and squares.

“They are attending them as private individual, each of them with his own outlook, not at all as political commanders or chiefs of the Communist Party cells,” he said. “The Church has always asked the parties to political processes to refrain from using Church symbols or rhetoric.

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