Earlier, we reported that the state is preparing a “special status” for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which will be applied after the adoption of Bill No. 8371, aimed at banning the UOC. This status will affect the part of the Church that is ready to break with the ROC but does not agree to unite with the OCU.
"Those who do not agree to unification with the OCU can leave for Russia" - religious scholar Smirnov
The OCU lobbyist in the media and freelance expert of the State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience, religious scholar Andrey Smirnov, said that after the adoption of the law banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the state should increase its influence on the clergy and believers of the denomination in order to persuade them to join the OCU. Smirnov is convinced that those who do not want to become part of the Ukrainian schism can leave Ukraine and go to Russia. He said this in an interview with the Suspilne TV channel.
«Even if the law is adopted, we must understand that, firstly, there will be no automatic ban on any church, and secondly, this is a long legal process, and even if there are final court decisions to terminate a legal entity, religious activity will continue. Believers can go to the catacombs and engage in underground activities. After all, our legislation is so democratic that it allows religious communities to operate even without registering a charter. That is, de facto, worship will continue,» — Smirnov explained.
However, according to the religious scholar, the state needs to approach the issue comprehensively and, in parallel with the ban, negotiate with representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to further unite it with the OCU. Anyone who disagrees with this, according to Smirnov, can leave the country and go to Russia.
«Here we need to act in a complex way, not only to pass laws, but also to negotiate with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (in unity with the MP — ed.) so that it does unite with the OCU and fulfill the Tomos granted by the Ecumenical Patriarch. The sooner the Ukrainian churches unite and there is a single local Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the better for Ukraine’s national interests. …it is necessary to initiate negotiations with the pro-Ukrainian part of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church on unification with the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. All those who do not agree to unite should either cease their activities or leave for Russia, or in some other way satisfy their religious needs,» — Smirnov concluded.
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