Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hinted at banning the Russian-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), DPA reported.
In his evening video address, Zelensky promised yesterday to “strengthen… Ukrainian spiritual independence”.
Most Ukrainians are Orthodox Christians. However, the Orthodox Church in the country is divided into two – the Moscow-affiliated UOC and the independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), which received the status of an autocephalous Church from the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 2019, DPA notes.
The number of followers of the OCU increased after the Russian army invaded Ukraine in 2022. But although it has become a minority Church, the UOC retains influence.
She is accused by Ukrainian political leaders of encouraging the invasion and now trying to poison public opinion in the country, DPA said.
“I just held a meeting – preparatory – on a decision that will strengthen our Ukrainian spiritual independence,” Zelensky said. “We must deprive Moscow of its last opportunities to limit the freedom of Ukrainians. And solutions for this must be 100 percent effective. We will guarantee this,” the Ukrainian president promised.
Last year, Ukraine’s parliament approved a bill at first reading that would have banned religious organizations linked to centers of influence in “a state that commits armed aggression.”
However, an attempt to have the normative act finally adopted failed last month, DPA points out.
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church assures that it has completely severed its ties with the Russian Orthodox Church, which firmly supports the war. The Ukrainian political leadership disputes this claim.
dnes.bg
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