The rector of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Epiphanius, stated that the law banning religious organizations associated with the Russian Federation provides an opportunity to reject the Russian yoke.
He called on Orthodox believers to join the WTO and is ready for dialogue with Metropolitan Onufriy of the UOC MP.
According to him, many communities in Ukraine have made the appropriate decision and joined the local Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
He also noted that in order to make the transition, the community must hold a meeting, make a corresponding decision and make changes to its own charter.
Let’s continue praying
The UOC-MP also responded to the ban in Ukraine of religious organizations associated with Russia.
As the head of the information and educational department of the UOC, Metropolitan Clement, stated in a comment to hromadske, the aforementioned bill “maybe prohibits the UOC MP, but the Ukrainian Orthodox Church does not have the prefix MP.”
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church will continue to live as a true church, recognized by the overwhelming majority of practicing Ukrainian believers and local churches of the world. Any attempts to prohibit an objective thing will lead to discreditation, including international, of those who want to implement it, the metropolitan believes.
He claims that the law that MPs voted for today is no longer about the church itself, but about its property. This situation reminds him of historical parallels with the communist past.
He also emphasized that this law concerns religious organizations affiliated with foreign centers. According to the bishop, the UOC has no administrative ties with foreign centers.
When asked whether the UOC MP plans to unite with the OCU, Bishop Clement noted that the UOC “has repeatedly called on the OCU to seek ways to unite Ukrainian Orthodoxy.”
Church of traitors?
Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, criminal proceedings have been opened against more than 100 priests of the UOC MP. This was reported by the press service of the SBU.
The events mainly concern treason, collaboration and aiding Russia.
The clergy are also suspected of revealing the location of the Defence Forces, distributing pro-Russian videos and communist symbols, publicly inciting religious hatred, selling firearms and distributing child pornography.
What does the law imply?
The adopted law on regulating the activities of religious organizations should make impossible the activities of churches that are guided by the state that is carrying out aggression against Ukraine, that is, Russia. Religious organizations suspected of collaborating with the Russian Orthodox Church will be checked by a corresponding expert commission. It should be created by the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolicy and Freedom of Conscience.
If the commission records violations, the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolicy and Freedom of Conscience will issue an order to the church to correct the situation. After the commission’s decision, religious organizations will be given 9 months to sever ties with Russia. If ties with the aggressor country are not terminated, the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolicy and Freedom of Conscience will file a lawsuit against this specific legal entity in court, which will have the right to decide on a ban.
The law does not limit freedom of religion, but proposes to sever ties with Moscow, and then parishes can serve in peace, explains MP Irina Gerashchenko.
Religious scholar and philosopher Irina Bogachevskaya points out that the UOC MP will try to appeal to the international community regarding the violation of freedom of religion by this bill, however, the document is legally verified and, on the contrary, provides for the protection of freedom of religion, since the decision to ban the activities of religious organizations will be made at many levels.
In addition, each religious community has the right to appeal this decision.
Where is the restriction of freedom of religion here? Especially since the draft law was supported by the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, which includes representatives of various confessions who, on the contrary, defend freedom of religion in Ukraine, Bogachevska noted in a comment to DW.
Journalist, head of the socio-political editorial board of the Liga.net publication and co-founder of the charitable foundation “Nesemos!”, serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Pero Shuklinov believes that after the law comes into force, Ukrainian government agencies and security forces should begin the process of returning the property of the banned church organization to state control.
The Russian pseudo-religious organization “UOC MP” is banned in Ukraine. All these buildings are Ukrainian, not Russian. The key word of all future trials is confiscation. The main goal of all future trials is the restoration of historical justice, – noted Shuklinov.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.