Ukraine is progressing towards banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), a move that Moscow sees as an attack on religious freedom.
On Thursday, the Ukrainian parliament’s Committee for Humanitarian Affairs and Information Policy approved a draft law.
This aims to protect national security and religious freedom.
The legislative initiative was first adopted last October.
It now includes a clause “In view of the fact that the Russian Orthodox Church is an ideological continuation of the regime of the aggressor state, complicit in war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the name of the Russian Federation and the ideology of the ‘Russian world’, the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine are prohibited”.
The draft law targets the UOC, which has around 10,000 parishes, accusing it of abusing religion and spreading Kremlin propaganda.
Outrage in Ukraine
Despite the UOC declaring its separation from the Moscow Patriarchate in May 2022, Ukrainian authorities still recognise the church as part of it.
The Russian Orthodox Church also maintains that the UOC remains under its jurisdiction.
The alleged support of the Russian war effort by UOC clergy has sparked outrage in Ukraine.
Some bishops and priests have been imprisoned or handed over to Russia in prisoner exchanges.
Despite this, the UOC leadership prays for the Ukrainian army’s defence and donates money to support it.
Russia accuses Ukraine of persecuting Orthodox Christians and violating religious freedom, with the EU and USA also raising concerns. Robert Amsterdam, a lawyer for the UOC, warned that the law could hinder Ukraine’s NATO and EU accession.
He said it could also damage relations with future US administrations.
The Ukrainian government has long supported the Orthodox Church of Ukraine which was established in 2018 with the backing of Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople.
Surveys indicate that most Ukrainians align with the OCU.
Sources