Kyiv National University Professor: Ukrainian Refugees in the EU Prefer the Russian Orthodox Church Due to Restrictions Imposed by the Orthodox Church of Ukraine

According to the director of the Institute for National Resilience and Security, Kyiv National University professor Rena Marutyan, Ukrainian refugees in European Union countries are choosing the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) over the Ukrainian Greek Catholic or Roman Catholic churches. In her opinion, this is due to the OCU’s inability to establish parishes abroad.

During a presentation at “Ukrinform,” Rena Marutyan noted that a unified network of Russian influence has been identified in the European Union, where the “church channel” plays a key role. According to her, this network encompasses education, legal assistance, and psychological support, which makes the Russian Orthodox Church attractive to refugees, especially Russian-speaking people from the southern and eastern regions of Ukraine.

The professor emphasized that, according to Article 4 of the Tomos, the OCU does not have the right to establish parishes in Europe. This circumstance, along with the inertia of habit and a sense of “home comfort,” draws Ukrainian refugees to the Russian Orthodox Church.

It is worth noting that earlier, the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, SviatoslavShevchuk, complained about the active efforts of clergy from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church abroad. As an example, Shevchuk cites Germany, where, as he reported, “pro-Russian oligarchs” have moved and are financing the UOC’s missionary activities among Ukrainian refugees who fled the country due to the Russian-Ukrainian war.