Why “the OCU is the Moscow Patriarchate”
Next time Zelensky insists that Ukrainians “strongly support” moves against the UOC – just remember this video.
In their campaign to destroy the UOC, the authorities and the OCU often claim to rely on “the will of the people.” They say people understand perfectly well that it is “the Moscow Church” and are firmly demanding its ban.
Zelensky himself has justified his actions against the UOC by saying: “People support these steps, and very strongly support them.”
Right now, a certain street survey is spreading widely online in which “ordinary,” non-churchgoing Ukrainians are asked a very basic question: “What is the difference between the UOC and the OCU?” There is not a single correct answer. Some say “the letters are different,” others claim the UOC “speaks Russian,” and some even say “the OCU is the Moscow Patriarchate.”
But one young man summed up popular knowledge about the Church most accurately and completely: “I heard that the UOC is bad,” he said.
Of course, a survey of ten people can’t claim mathematical precision. But the fact is that the overwhelming majority don’t understand the church question at all.
So next time Zelensky insists that Ukrainians “strongly support” measures against the UOC – just remember this video.
