The Ukrainian parliament voted to ban the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which recognizes the Moscow patriarch. He accuses her of spreading Russian propaganda and complicity in the invasion of the Kremlin. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sees the historical break of ties with this church as a step towards spiritual independence
The Parliament of Ukraine adopted the Law on the Protection of the Constitutional Order in the Field of Activities of Religious Organizations, which prohibits the activity of religious organizations associated with the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine.
The law states that no religious organization operating on Ukrainian territory is allowed to have an administrative center in Russia, including the Russian Orthodox Church, reports Ukrinform.
Officially, the law serves to protect national security and religious freedom. It contains provisions on the ban on religious organizations linked to Russia.
According to that law, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which recognizes the Moscow Patriarch, cannot be banned as a whole, but at the request of the body responsible for religious communities, the courts must examine each of the almost 10.000 parishes and other structures of the UPC individually and decide on the ban for each one separately.
The law needs to be signed by the country's president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and will enter into force 30 days after its publication, said MP Jaroslav Železnyak. Individual parishes then have nine months to separate from Moscow.
Shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in May 2022, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church separated from the Moscow Patriarchate, but still recognizes the Moscow Patriarch
The church as a means of spreading propaganda
Most Ukrainians are Orthodox Christians, but the faith is divided into one branch traditionally linked to the Russian Orthodox Church - the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UPC) and the Independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which has been recognized by the world Orthodox hierarchy since 2019.
Ukrainian leaders have accused the Russia-linked UPC of fomenting war against Ukraine by spreading pro-Russian "propaganda" and harboring spies.
"Given that the Russian Orthodox Church is an ideological continuation of the regime of the aggressor state, an accomplice in war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the name of the Russian Federation and the ideology of the Russian world, the activity of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine is prohibited," the text of the law reads.
What is written in the Law
The law stipulates that relations, connections, communications of religious organizations, including religious communities, and other legal entities with foreign religious organizations, whose activities are prohibited in Ukraine, are not allowed, writes "Guardian".
The law envisages the creation of a commission that will investigate the potential connections of religious organizations with Moscow, and that, after establishing the facts, will have 60 days to terminate them, before the case ends up in court.
The Assembly adopted the draft of this law in the first reading in October last year, and today 265 MPs voted for this initiative.
A step towards independence or an attack on the church?
State officials welcomed the adoption of this Law as a good decision. President Volodymyr Zelensky believes that the vote is a step towards strengthening the "spiritual independence" of Ukraine.
MP Irina Herashchenko said that it is a matter of national security. "This is a historic voice. Parliament has approved a law banning a branch of the aggressor country in Ukraine," she wrote on Telegram.
The UPC was historically part of the Russian Orthodox Church, but began to distance itself from officials in Moscow after the February 2022 invasion.
Ukrainian officials dispute that claim and have launched dozens of criminal cases, including treason charges, against dozens of their priests.
UPC Metropolitan Klimentii reiterated that the church has no connection with "foreign centers" and criticized the law, which he considers an attack on church property.
"The Ukrainian Orthodox Church will continue to live as a true church, recognized by the vast majority of Ukrainian believers and churches in the world," he told Hromadske TV.
Recognition of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine
For centuries, Russia and a large part of Ukraine formed a single church area, which belonged to the Moscow Patriarchate. However, since gaining state independence, Ukraine has tried to achieve church independence as well, writes Deutsche Welle.
Thus, in addition to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UPC) since 2018, there is the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (PCU) - which is supported by the government. Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, the honorary head of world Orthodoxy, recognized this new church's autocephaly, i.e. independence, at the beginning of 2019. However, this has so far been recognized by only a part of the Orthodox churches and has directly led to the rupture between the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Patriarchate of Moscow.
At that time, Bartholomew wanted the reunification of Ukrainian Orthodoxy. Observers believe that it is possible that Kiev is now insisting on the unification of the UPC with the PCU.
Sharp reactions from Russia
Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church spoke about the ban during a visit to the Solovka monastery in northern Russia and said that this is "a difficult time, in which many have turned against us, not because we are bad, but only because we are different."
The spokesman of the Russian Orthodox Church, Vladimir Legojda, on Telegram called the UPC ban an "illegal act" and a "gross violation of the basic principles of freedom of religion and human rights." He warned that the implementation of this law could "lead to mass violence against millions of believers".
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia published the statement of its special representative for respect for freedom of religion and belief, Gennady Askaldovich. He called the adoption of the law "a serious blow to the entire Orthodox Church" and a threat to church unity. "For the first time, we are witnessing an event in which an entire religious confession is banned on the territory of a European state," said Askaldovič.
The spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Maria Zakharova, strongly criticized the ban: "The goal is to destroy the deeply canonical, true Orthodox faith."
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