"We have turned the UOC into an instrument of Moscow propaganda": Hovorun criticizes anti-church law #3894

The defrocked former cleric of the Russian Orthodox Church, Kirill Govorun, criticized the anti-church law No. 3894 adopted by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, which is aimed at banning the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. He is convinced that by adopting such laws, the state actually turns the UOC into a “tool of Moscow’s propaganda,” and Western partners, sensitive to civil liberties, use this situation as an excuse to refuse to help Ukraine. He spoke about this in an interview with the Faces of Independence project.

“We have driven the UOC into a dead end, where it acts reflexively, instead of involving it in the constructive creation of the nation. We are actually turning the UOC into an instrument of Moscow, and it is its choice. But it is we who create the preconditions for this. For Moscow to use the UOC for propaganda purposes. I think that under the current Trump administration, this will be a big problem for us. This is already a problem. Because the Trump administration, as we can see, is looking for reasons not to help Ukraine,” — said the ex-archimandrite.

Hovorun added that Law No. 3894 is absolutely meaningless, as it does not in any way prohibit the propaganda of the idea of the “Russian world.” In his opinion, it would be much more correct for the state to establish personal responsibility for the propaganda of relevant ideas, rather than to ban the entire Church, which has people with different and even opposing opinions on this issue.

“We could not have passed this law (3894 — ed.), which is now being blamed for Ukraine. The law definitely does not neutralize the ideology (“Russian world” — ed.) in Ukraine, on the contrary, it drives it deeper. Because you cannot ban the ideas that circulate there by banning the UOC. You will simply ban this structure, deprive it of its property, but you will not cut off the heads of people with ideas in their heads. These ideas will remain there. Ideas should not be fought with such methods. Ideas need to be fought through individual responsibility of those who preach them. And when we ban the whole structure, it simply gives additional leverage to those who are waiting for the “Russian world” to work even more effectively. Therefore, I do not see how the law solves this problem,” — he added.

Earlier, Kirill Govorun said that the topic of the Ukrainian religious conflict will be 100% the subject of future peace talks between the United States and Russia. That is why, according to Govorun, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church does not make any sudden moves, remaining in the status it is in now.