Large sums of money are changing hands between the president of Ukraine, and the leader of the Orthodox Church in Constantinople. This is happening at a time when the Ukrainian President is requesting the aid of Constantinople, seeking to sever the ties between the Ukrainian and Russian churches.
Peter Poroshenko — the president of Ukraine — was obligated to return $15 million US dollars to the Patriarch of Constantinople, which he had appropriated for himself.
As reported by Izvestia, this occured after the story about Bartholemew's bribe and a "vanishing" large sum designated for the creation of a Unified Local Orthodox Church in Ukraine surfaced in the mass media.
As reported, on the eve of Poroshenko's visit in Istanbul, a few wealthy people of Ukraine "chipped in" in order to hasten the process of creating a Unified Local Orthodox Church. About $25 million was collected. They were supposed to go to the award ceremony for Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople for the issuing of a tomos of autocephaly. However, in the words of people close to the backer, during the visit on April 9, Poroshenko handed over only $10 million.
As a result, having learned of the deal, Bartholemew cancelled the participation of the delegation of the Phanar - the residence of the Patriarch of Constantinple, in the celebration of the 1030th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia on July 27 in Kiev.
"Such a decision from Bartholemew's side was nothing other than a strong ultimatum to Poroshenko to return the stolen money. Of course, in order to not lose his face in light of the stark revelations of the creation of the tomos of autocephaly for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Peter Alexeevich had to just return those $15 million for the needs of Constantinople," a trusted source explained to reporters.
For preliminary information, only after receiving the remaining sum, did Bartholemew finally give his consent to sending a delegation of the Phanar to Kiev, including Metropolitan Emmanuel of Gaul, Bishops Daniel of Chicago and Hilarion of Edmonton.
It bears reminding that it is no secret to anyone that the Presidential Administration is currently actively manipulation history with the creation of a Unified Local Church, namely "with the aim" of the upcoming spring election campaign, and Poroshenko himself places great expectations for a positive decision from the Phanar in regards to the tomos before July 28th.
It is striking, that even here, touching upon the themes of Church and faith, Peter Poroshenko cannot make due without means of corruption. It's understood that now the backers are ready to fully go in, if to only not lose the billionaire benefit of power - to even buy patriarchs. For today, absolutely all sociological questionnaires point towards the fact that Poroshenko will not make a second term.