MP Poturaev says UOC does not have to unite with OCU

Ukrainian MP and chairman of the Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy Nikita Poturaev said that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church does not have to unite with the OCU in order to fulfill the requirements of the scandalous law No. 3894, which is aimed at banning the activities of the UOC. Poturayev believes that two-thirds of the UOC believers are in favor of the UOC breaking ties with the Moscow Patriarchate. He said this in a commentary to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

“The State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience has three months from the date of signing the law to develop regulations. Recently, committee hearings were held on this issue. We discussed in detail what is happening with preparations for the practical implementation of the law. We saw that everything will be done on time. So in three months we will have an effective legal framework approved by the Cabinet of Ministers. Then investigations and the first orders will begin to appear. As for the appeal to the court, 9 months must pass from the date of signing, which is more than enough time for the UOC to decide which way it will go,” — the politician noted.

According to the MP, unification with the OCU is not necessary for the UOC, the main thing is to break ties with Moscow, which, in his opinion, will not lose its canonicity.

“They simply won’t be able to hide behind the ‘authority’ of Moscow, the Kremlin, but they can exist perfectly well without it. I am convinced that at least two-thirds of the UOC are constructive people who do not want to have ties with Moscow. Perhaps not all of them are ready to unite with the OCU, but this is not necessary. Those who want to join the OCU are already doing so. These processes have not stopped, and with the new law, everything will be simplified to some extent. Believers will have more rights to determine which church they want to belong to, but these are church matters that cannot be resolved quickly. But this law is not about the church, this law is about ties with the enemy, and we, as a state, have never interfered in church affairs,” — Poturaev summarized.

It should be noted that earlier Nikita Poturaev explained the nine-month period that will be allocated to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church if Bill 8371 is passed. Poturayev said that it is best for the Church to decide on joining the OCU during this time, but if this does not happen, then the UOC must go through the procedure of “real severance” of ties with Moscow.