The Verkhovna Rada has adopted as a whole the bill banning the UOC-Moscow Patriarchate in Ukraine.
On Tuesday, August 20, the people’s representatives voted for the draft law No. 8371 “On the ban on the activities of religious organizations associated with Russia on the territory of Ukraine.” 265 parliamentarians voted for it. 29 MPs voted against, four abstained, and 24 MPs did not vote. MPs Yaroslav Zheleznyak and Oleksiy Goncharenko reported this on Telegram.
This draft law establishes restrictions on religious organizations in connection with the Russian Orthodox Church, whose activities in Ukraine are prohibited. It also defines what exactly is meant by such connections. The law provides a period during which Ukrainian organizations must lose these connections.
The law defines the procedure for state supervision of compliance with this requirement and grants state bodies the authority to interact with religious organizations that were unable or unwilling to independently comply with the requirements of the law.
How the people’s deputies voted:
- “Servant of the People” – 173
- “European Solidarity” – 25
- “Rodina” – 17
- “Platform for Life and Peace.”
- “For the future”
- “The Voice” – 18
- “Trust” – 11
- “Restoration of Ukraine” – 0
- Non-factional – 11
It is noted that the law comes into force 30 days after its publication. Except for one point – the UOC MP communities will have nine months to sever ties with the ROC.
Let us recall that on August 16, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a meeting with the Council of Churches, where they discussed a bill banning the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine. The head of state emphasized that this document will eliminate any manipulations by Moscow in relation to the Ukrainian church.
Source: Racurs
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