Danilov urged Ukraine's "Moscow" church to call Putin Satan
The secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, Oleksiy Danilov, has said that the UOC MP should truly, not symbolically, sever relations with Russia.
Danilov was surprised by the request of Metropolitan Pavlo Lebed, the vicar of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, to Zelensky to leave the UOC two churches on the territory of the Lavra. We shall remind you that they belong to the state, and next year their lease agreements with the "Moscow" church will expire.
During an all-Ukrainian telethon, Alexei Danilov commented on Pavlo's request in the following way:
If you are hiding your affiliation with the Moscow Patriarchate, links with people who pray on Russian territory for us to be killed by Russian soldiers, then how can you even look into the eyes of Ukrainians?
At the same time, the UOC decided back in May to remove the mention of the Moscow Patriarchate and its canonical affiliation with the MP from its charter. However, the opponents consider this only a symbolic step or a ploy to escape from the blow. During November and December, the SBU conducted raids to check UOC MP churches across Ukraine and uncovered numerous instances of anti-Ukrainian propaganda by priests.
To prove its commitment to Ukraine, Danilov believes the UOC MP should call Putin Satan:
You first address your conscience. Why do you hide your name? It's not fair, people should know where they go. It has nothing to do with the Russian Federation - so officially disavow, say that Putin is Satan. Call things by their names, and then it will be fair.