The Council of Churches supported the banning of the UOC-MP in Ukraine
- Author:
- Olha Bereziuk
- Date:
Герман Крігер / «Бабель»
The All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (AUCCRO) supported the ban on the activities of religious organizations associated with Russia.
This is stated on the AUCCRO website.
"We support the legislative initiative of the President of Ukraine to disable the activities of such organizations in our country, which also has broad political and public support," the statement reads.
Representatives of Ukrainian religious organizations also condemned the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church, which became "an accomplice of the Russian invadersʼ bloody crimes against humanity."
The Council of Churches emphasized that the main threat to religious freedom in Ukraine is Russian aggression, as a result of which the occupiers killed dozens of clergy and destroyed hundreds of churches and prayer houses.
The statement appeared shortly after the meeting of representatives of the Council of Churches with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Prohibition of the UOC-MP in Ukraine
On January 19, 2023 , the government submitted to the Council a draft law on banning churches affiliated with Russia in Ukraine. This was done on the instructions of the National Security and Defense Council. On October 19, 2023 , the parliament supported this draft law in the first reading.
In the second reading, the Rada still cannot adopt a ban on the UOC MP. On July 23, 2024, a number of peopleʼs deputies blocked the rostrum of the Rada due to the refusal to put the project to a vote. However, the voting did not take place then.
On July 24, the Speaker of the Parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk, said that the deputies decided to concentrate on finalizing certain provisions of the law so that it could be put to a vote as soon as possible.
On August 15, Zelenskyy called on the Verkhovna Rada to act quickly in the decision on "religious independence." And the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine Epiphany called on the Primate of the UOC MP Metropolitan Onufry to dialogue about unity.