MP told what to expect from the law on banning the UOC

Ukrainian MP of the European Solidarity party Volodymyr Vyatrovych has spoken about what to expect from the law on banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which was passed in the Ukrainian parliament today. The MP pointed out that after the signing of the law by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience will start checking religious organizations for affiliation with the Russian Orthodox Church. About this he wrote in his account in Facebook.

“The law directly prohibits the activities of the ROC in Ukraine. Thirty days after its signing by the President and publication, the State Service of ethno-politics and freedom of conscience will be able to check religious organizations in Ukraine for affiliation with the Moscow church. If at least one of the 5 signs of affiliation of a religious organization with the Russian Orthodox Church is detected, such an organization will receive an order to eliminate the affiliation within 30 days. If the connection with Moscow is not severed, the state will file a lawsuit to ban the organization. Judicial procedures of the ban will begin 9 months after the publication of the law,” – wrote Vyatrovych.

In addition, Vyatrovych pointed out that religious organizations that fall under the law will no longer be able to use communal and state property on the territory of Ukraine.

“Equally important, religious organizations affiliated with the ROC will be deprived of the right to use state and communal property. If they do not break ties with the Moscow church, within two months the contracts for the use of temples that belong to the state or local communities will be terminated. And this is not about some mythical “persecution for faith”, but about common sense. Because the temples, which are the property of the Ukrainian people, should be used by the Ukrainian, not the Moscow church”, – added the Deputy.

We shall remind you that on August 20, 2024, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine considered the scandalous bill No. 8371 “On Amending Certain Laws of Ukraine Regarding the Activities of Religious Organizations in Ukraine” aimed at banning the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. As a result of brief discussions in the session hall of the Ukrainian parliament, the bill to ban the UOC was voted and adopted as a basis and as a whole.