The head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church—Kyiv Patriarchate issued a statement regarding the LGBT march in Kyiv

The head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church–Kyiv Patriarchate, Nikodim Kobzar, issued a strong condemnation of the LGBT pride march that took place in downtown Kyiv on June 21. In his official statement, the head of the church called the event “a glorification of sin” and urged Ukrainian politicians to stop supporting such initiatives.

In his address, the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church–Kyiv Patriarchate emphasized that the Church’s position on homosexual relationships remains unchanged and is based on passages from Scripture that characterize such acts as “abominations.” The religious leader warned government authorities against legalizing such phenomena, arguing that historical examples and spiritual texts attest to the catastrophic consequences for societies that stray from traditional moral foundations.

The statement also devoted special attention to a call for march participants to reconsider their way of life. Kobzar emphasized that while the Church condemns sin, it retains its love for people, offering “the doors of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate” to anyone who sincerely desires repentance and spiritual purification, in accordance with the Gospel’s call to seek first “the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.”

As a reminder, earlier, Ruslan Stefanchuk, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine,held a meeting with representatives of LGBT organizations to discuss possible amendments to the draft of the new Civil Code. Activists stated the need to revise certain provisions of the document concerning the definition of family and also proposed enshrining in law provisions related to the protection of the rights of the LGBT community.