Holy Synod urges Parliament not to divide believers into friends and foes

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine

The bishops of the UOC stressed that the bills would make millions of believers in Ukraine outsiders in their own country. They stated this at a session of the Synod on September 25, reports the Information and Education Department of the UOC.

The Holy Synod called on all those involved in the work on bills No. 4128 (on changing the subordination of religious communities), 4511 (on the special status of religious organizations), 5309 (on changing the name of religious organizations) to abandon these anti-church legislative initiatives that contradict the Ukrainian Constitution.

In the opinion of the hierarchs, the bills "have as their goal the judicial liquidation of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church by means of its raider seizure through a change of the name, unlawful interference with governing bodies and asset grabbing (shrines, temples and monasteries)".

The Synod noted in its resolution that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is a religious association that is registered and operates in accordance with the legislation of Ukraine, and any compulsions to change its name are illegal and qualify as interference in the internal affairs of the Church.

Also, the Holy Synod of the UOC warned lobbyists of the bills that their adoption will artificially divide people and make millions of Ukrainian citizens outsiders in their country and called for rejecting these anti-church initiatives.

As reported by the UOJ, a session of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was held on September 25 at the residence of the Primate of the UOC in the territory of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. The session was chaired by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine.

Earlier, more than 60 thousand voters signed a petition to MPs of Ukraine with an appeal to withdraw or not vote for anti-church bills Nos.4128 and 5309.

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