By Kostas Onisenko
Ukrainian journalists analyze the reasons why the head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv, is high on the list of Ukrainians who have the most influence in the country.
According to a report in the Ukrainian newspaper “HB”, the Metropolitan of Kyiv and all Ukraine ranks 43rd in the list of “Top 100 Ukrainians with the most influence.”
Well-known politicians of the country, big businessmen and people with huge social acceptance and public profile by the media occupy the next positions. At the same time, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine, Metropolitan Onufriy, ranks 65th on the same list.
“Metropolitan Epifaniy is the head of the independent Church ok Ukraine, a fact that gives prestige to his words and deeds. Apart from that, however, his statements are characterized by realism while the elements of utopianism are absent,” commented Yuri Chernomorets, Doctor of Philosophy and specialist in Greek theology in the HB newspaper.
According to the theologian, such an attitude shows in the eyes of society much more preferable to the traditionalism which Onufriy advocates for.
At the same time, another analyst speaking to the same newspaper commented: “Epifaniy is young with public action, he appears in the mainstream media; he says his opinion by adopting clearly pro-Ukrainian positions; on the other hand he does not express aggression towards other Churches and denominations, as has been the case of Filaret,” said theologian Ruslan Halikov.
In the list of “Top 100 most influential Ukrainians” the places in a row are occupied by: Volodymyr Zelensky (President of Ukraine), Rinat Akhmetov (businessman), Andriy Yermak (Head of the Office of the President) and Arsen Avakov (Minister of the Interior).
Former President Petro Poroshenko is seventh on the list.