Ukraine outlaws Moscow-affiliated Orthodox Church
August 21, 2024
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CWN Editor's Note: Ukrainian lawmakers have approved legislation that bans religious groups affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church.
Although the measure is a response to the Moscow Patriarchate’s support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the practical effect of the legislation is to outlaw the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC)— which is historically tied to Moscow, but has proclaimed both its independence from Russian control and its support for Ukrainian sovereignty.
Supporters of the legislation— including Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy— have pointed out that the UOC retains canonical ties to the Moscow Patriarchate. The country’s other major Orthodox body, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), has no such ties.
The UOC has strongly protested the new law during bitter debates in parliament, arguing that it is an offense against religious freedom. UOC clerics have already become targets for the government, with more than 100 arrested on charges related to alleged support for Russian aggression.
In the Ukrainian territories now controlled by Russian forces, officials of the OCU, as well at priests of the Catholic Church, have faced similar charges.
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