Expert: Govt. to hold "negotiations" with hierarchs of UOC after its ban

Andriy Smirnov. Photo: oa.edu.ua

Religionist Andriy Smirnov in an interview with Suspilne said that the OCU, the Ukrainian authorities and the Patriarchate of Constantinople should negotiate with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church as it is necessary to search for a model of peaceful coexistence and then the unification of Ukrainian Orthodoxy.

"Because this is really a matter of national security, we cannot allow either the exarchate or some other structures of the Russian Orthodox Church to continue operating in Ukraine after the end of the Russian-Ukrainian war, and there is such a danger," Smirnov said.

The religious scholar is sure that even in the case of a complete ban of the UOC, which is a long judicial process, its activities will not cease.

"Believers can go into the catacombs, engage in underground activities. After all, our legislation is so democratic that it allows religious communities to act even without registering a statute. That is, de facto, activities, worship services will continue," he explained.

As reported by the UOJ, the leadership of the OCU demands to ban the UOC, blackmailing the authorities with elections.

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