Andriy Baumeister called the actions of the OCU and the UGCC “paganism in Christian guise”

Andriy Baumeister, Ph.D., criticized the current state of religious and social life in Ukraine, stating that the actions of the OCU and the UGCC have little in common with true Christianity. The philosopher believes that a secular, anti-Christian ideology has taken root in the country in place of faith. He spoke about this in an interview with blogger Oleksandr Shelest of .

In an interview with blogger Oleksandr Shelest, Baumeister noted that Ukraine’s current state religion is nationalism. According to the expert, the authorities’ attempts to link statehood to the figure of St. Prince Vladimir appear unconvincing, since the true essence of the legacy of the Baptizer of Rus’ is being replaced by secular meanings.

The philosopher emphasized that the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) are, in fact, “playing an anti-Christian game in Christian garb.” Baumeister also drew a parallel with Western experience, recalling the words of French President Emmanuel Macron, who distinguished between patriotism and nationalism, noting that in the Ukrainian case, the process of identity formation has become excessive and detached from the historical Christian tradition.