The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church stated that the law “On the Prohibition of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church” is not directed against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church

Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), addressed a delegation from the World Council of Churches (WCC) to explain the passage of a law designed to protect religious organizations from the influence of an aggressor state. According to him, these legislative initiatives are not directed against any specific denomination—in particular, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church—but are of a universal nature, aimed at ensuring Ukraine’s national security.

, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, emphasized that the adopted regulations are intended to prevent “the instrumentalization of the Church and the transformation of religion into a weapon.” Shevchuk assured representatives of the international religious community that Ukraine continues to adhere to the principles of freedom of conscience, and that the interaction between the state and religious institutions is based on the equality of all organizations before the law.

During the discussion, the head of the Uniates noted that the state has the legal right to take measures to protect national interests. At the same time, as the source recalls, the World Council of Churches had previously expressed serious concern over a law that effectively creates a legal basis for banning the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church within the country.

As a reminder, Ukrainian MP Solomiya Bobrovska previously called on GreekCatholics (Uniates) and representatives of other religious denominations to more actively support the OCU in the process of the so-called transitions of parishes of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) to the Ukrainian schism. The lawmaker expressed concern over the “stagnation” of the transition process and accused the OCU and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) of “insufficient efforts” to engage with UOC believers.