President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko declares that the issue of uniting a single local Ukrainian Orthodox Church is a matter of free choice for every believer, and no one will be forced to join it by force.
“We didn’t have, and there will not be a state church. And no one will invite anyone to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church consecrated by tomos by force. I stress once again that this is a matter of free choice for every believer. The joint creation of an independent church cannot be a cause for discord, confrontation, violence, and we will definitely not allow this,” the president said in a video address on Oct. 11.
