Ukraine urges russia-affiliated church to sever ties, not close parishes

Ukraine is not calling for the closure of Moscow-affiliated Ukrainian Orthodox churches but is insisting that they end their subordination to Moscow.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church, part of the russian Orthodox Church, has been offered the opportunity to sever ties with its Moscow-based leadership. Officials emphasize that this step does not impose a burden on the conscience of believers, noting that allegiance to the Moscow Patriarchate is not a requirement of Orthodox faith.

Viktor Yelenskyi, head of the State Service of Ukraine on Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience, addressed the issue during a briefing at Media Center Ukraine.

“Even after a court ruling, this does not mean that all parishes or communities of the UOC (MP) will be closed. The Ukrainian state aims to dismantle the structures of the russian Patriarchate without infringing on human rights or the freedom of religious belief. The state does not interfere in prayer or religious practice. It only requires that the Ukrainian church withdraw from subordination to the Moscow Patriarch – the same leader responsible for the deaths of at least 14 priests,” said Yelenskyi. 

If an administrative court orders the Moscow Patriarchate church in Ukraine to comply with the state’s directive, the Kyiv Metropolis, which currently serves as the church’s legal entity, would lose its official status. However, this does not obligate individual parishes to join another church. They may operate independently, as demonstrated by several autonomous parishes in Ukraine’s Khmelnytskyi region. 

Read more: https://mediacenter.org.ua/news