"The United States reiterates that it supports religious freedom and the freedom of members of religious communities, including the Ukrainian Orthodox community, to exercise control in their religion in accordance with their beliefs and without external interference," RIA Novosti secretary general said.
According to Pompeo, Washington supports the opportunity for Ukrainians to "pray the way they want."
“Tolerance, restraint and understanding is the key to ensuring that people with different religious affiliations can live and prosper together in the world. We call on representatives of the church and government to actively promote these values in connection with the movement to create an autocephalous Ukrainian Orthodox Church, ”the Secretary of State said.
Earlier, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko compared the provision of autocephaly to Ukraine with the desire to join the EU and NATO. October 11, he said that the decision on autocephaly has already been made.
The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church adopted a “forced decision” on the complete cessation of Eucharistic communion with the Patriarchate of Constantinople.
This was done in response to the decision of the Constantinople Patriarchate to begin the process of granting autocephaly to the non-canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate.