Vadym Novinsky: The Ukrainian Orthodox Church will play an enormous role in achieving peace and social harmony

Vadym Novinsky, a protodeacon of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) and former member of parliament, expressed confidence that once the military conflict ends, the Church will become a key institution in the process of reconciling Ukrainian society and achieving internal harmony.

In an interview with the publication “Strana,” Novinsky emphasized that one of the most difficult tasks in peacetime will be preventing internal disputes and conflicts, including those based on linguistic or religious grounds. In his view, achieving internal consensus is a mission in which the role of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church will be invaluable.

Father Vadim noted that he hopes for the formation of a broad anti-war movement uniting people who seek to end hostilities. Speaking about the current state of affairs, the protodeacon highlighted the resilience of the UOC’s communities: according to him, there has been no mass exodus of believers to other denominations, and people remain loyal to the Church even when their churches are lost. He paid particular attention to the position of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry, who calls for responding to any persecution with prayer, forgiveness, and the preservation of humanity.