- The Ukrainian Legislature Prohibits the Moscow Orthodox Church
Ukraine's Parliament has approved a prohibition against the Orthodox Church linked to Russia. The contentious bill passed its second reading in Kyiv's Rada with a substantial majority, securing 265 votes in favor from a total of 322 cast.
The restriction is instigated by the Moscow Patriarchate's backing of Russia's military aggression against Ukraine. The Ukrainian branch of this church is accused of committing atrocities against its own population. Officially, the purpose of the legislation is to safeguard national security and religious freedom. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has the responsibility to ratify the law.
The spokesperson for Moscow's Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, heatedly protested the ban in Moscow. "The objective is to eradicate the orthodox, genuine church," she asserted.
The prohibition will become effective 30 days after its publication, as per the declaration of MP Yaroslav Shelesnyak. Thereafter, individual communities will have a nine-month period to disassociate from Moscow. Around 10,000 communities in Ukraine's diverse religious landscape are still under the authority of the Moscow Patriarchate of the Orthodox Church of Russia.
Ukrainian Church labelled as a "Kremlin intelligence network"
"Today, we took the necessary step to dismantle the Kremlin's intelligence network, which has concealed behind the facade of a religious organization for decades," wrote MP Roman Losynsky on Facebook.
However, concerns about exacerbating religious strife in Ukraine through the ban were also echoed by Ukraine's Western partners.
Russia and Ukraine have shared a unified church domain under the Moscow Patriarchate for centuries. Nevertheless, Ukraine has also sought its religious autonomy since securing independence.
In 2018, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew recognized an Orthodox Church of Ukraine that was independent of Moscow. In May 2022, the Moscow-loyal church in Ukraine formally detached itself from Russia but continues to recognize the Moscow Patriarch.
Within this church, there exist priests and bishops who advance Moscow's interests, as well as numerous priests, communities, and simple churchgoers who align unambiguously with Ukraine.
The European Union, as a key supporter of Ukraine's sovereignty, may issue a statement condemning Russia's involvement in Ukraine's religious affairs, given the EU's commitment to promoting democracy and religious freedom. The European Union Parliament could also discuss the impact of this legislation on religious minorities in Ukraine during its next session.
