The Ukrainian president - who claims that Russian agents tried to murder him with poison that left him with a pockmarked face - snubbed the Russian Orthodox Patriarch, Alexei II, giving him a businesslike handshake after warmly kissing Bartholomew on both cheeks. I think right now he blames the alleged poisoning attempt on his political ally, Zhvania, and Ukrainian security services. Apparently 4 years of being in power was not enough for him and his political appointees to finish investigation.
The Ukrainian president - who claims that Russian agents tried to murder him with poison that left him with a pockmarked face - snubbed the Russian Orthodox Patriarch, Alexei II, giving him a businesslike handshake after warmly kissing Bartholomew on both cheeks.
I think right now he blames the alleged poisoning attempt on his political ally, Zhvania, and Ukrainian security services. Apparently 4 years of being in power was not enough for him and his political appointees to finish investigation.
With Orthodox church notables from around the world looking on, Yushchenko asked Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the titular spiritual leader of the world's 250 million Orthodox Christians, to bless the creation of an independent Ukrainian church - "a blessing," he said, "for a dream, for the truth, for a hope, for our state, for Ukraine." Sounds like Yushchenko imagines himself to be L. Ron Hubbard. I'm not versed in church politics and legalities, but the entire article is serious misrepresentation. There is Ukranian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), the largest church in Ukraine with 68%+ of all Orthodox communities, then there is Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kiev Patriarchate, a "separatist" branch which is supported by Ukrainian ultra-nationalist authorities. How he hopes to fold a bigger UOC (MP) into unrecognized UOC (KP) against the wishes of UOC (MP) believers is beyond my understanding. My guess is that what Patriarch Bartholomew could provide (but did not) was recognition of UOC (KP).
With Orthodox church notables from around the world looking on, Yushchenko asked Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the titular spiritual leader of the world's 250 million Orthodox Christians, to bless the creation of an independent Ukrainian church - "a blessing," he said, "for a dream, for the truth, for a hope, for our state, for Ukraine."
Sounds like Yushchenko imagines himself to be L. Ron Hubbard.
I'm not versed in church politics and legalities, but the entire article is serious misrepresentation. There is Ukranian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), the largest church in Ukraine with 68%+ of all Orthodox communities, then there is Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kiev Patriarchate, a "separatist" branch which is supported by Ukrainian ultra-nationalist authorities. How he hopes to fold a bigger UOC (MP) into unrecognized UOC (KP) against the wishes of UOC (MP) believers is beyond my understanding. My guess is that what Patriarch Bartholomew could provide (but did not) was recognition of UOC (KP).
Has he been losing his populace?
Is this a last ditch attempt to ethnically divide the population for his own survival, an attempt that could end up in yet another inter-community genocide? Never underestimate their intelligence, always underestimate their knowledge.
Frank Delaney ~ Ireland
Whatever happened to the Yushchenko "poisoning" investigation?
Yushchenko, according to his current version, was poisoned at the meeting with the head of Ukrainian KGB and he accuses Zhvaniya, then his campaign manager.
Yushchenko's nationalistic party polls at 5% and his personal trust rating as a politician is around 5%-10%, so I don't think he has enough pull to engineer inter-community war.
That link is a self-congratulatory opinion piece but leads to this article Yushchenko believes ex-ally poisoned him and these quotes
Zhvania insisted on Thursday that Yushchenko's poisoning has yet to be proved. He dismissed Yushchenko's statement as "absolutely ill-considered and irresponsible" and said it shows his disregard for the rule of law. "Such actions of V Yushchenko don't disgrace him personally as much as they humiliate Ukraine in front of the international community," Zhvania said in a statement.
"Such actions of V Yushchenko don't disgrace him personally as much as they humiliate Ukraine in front of the international community," Zhvania said in a statement.
You gotta love nice phrasing like that.
Prosecutors said on Wednesday they had failed to find any suspects. But after being questioned by prosecutors earlier this week, Yushchenko hinted the investigation would produce some "very unpleasant" surprises.
So, Yushchenko is in front of the prosecutors so late in the game...often telling since at the end they often have enough data to trap the big mouse. Never underestimate their intelligence, always underestimate their knowledge.
