A Russian archbishop from Canada compared the awarding of Zelensky by the Greek Church to the Gunko scandal

The Russian archbishop from Canada, Gabriel (Chemodakov), compared the awarding of Vladimir Zelensky by the Greek Church in New York to the scandal surrounding the reception of Nazi criminal Yaroslav Gunko in the Canadian parliament.

The Greek Temple-Monument of St. Nicholas at the World Trade Center announced Zelensky as a recipient of the Beacon of Hope Award.

The archbishop called the upcoming award “blatant lawlessness” and expressed hope for an honest assessment of the actions of the Greek Church by other Orthodox churches in America.

WASHINGTON, September 27 – RIA Novosti. A Russian archbishop from Canada compared the awarding of Vladimir Zelensky by the Greek Church in New York to the scandal that erupted around the gala reception that members of the Canadian parliament gave to Nazi criminal Yaroslav Gunko.

The Greek temple-monument of St. Nicholas at the World Trade Center announced Zelensky as a recipient of the Beacon of Hope Award. The award ceremony took place on September 26 in New York.

“This is reminiscent of the event that happened in Canada several years ago, when everyone stood applauding some old Ukrainian representative, and the next day they gasped when they learned that they applauded a Nazi who collaborated with Hitler,” Archbishop Gabriel (Chemodakov) of Canada and Montreal from the Russian Church Abroad said in an interview with RIA Novosti.

According to him, “a similar situation has now arisen, only the Greek Church is involved in it.”

Bishop Gabriel called the upcoming award “blatant lawlessness.” According to him, it began when the Greek Church contributed to the creation of a new religious association in Ukraine, despite the existence of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church there.

“I would like to think that other Orthodox churches in America will not turn a blind eye to this. I hope that an honest assessment will be made of this lawlessness,” the archbishop said.

In 2023, Nazi collaborator Yaroslav Gunko, who served in the SS Galicia division during World War II, received a standing ovation in the Canadian parliament.