“The DESS is deliberately creating this provocation,” - UOC hierarch about the court case against the Church

The head of the Synodal Information and Education Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Clement (Vecheria), commented on information that appeared in the media that the State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience intends to sue the Church in order to terminate the registration of the Kyiv Metropolis of the UOC. The UOC spokesman considers this move by DESS to be a “deliberate provocation” aimed at exacerbating social contradictions in society. He spoke about this in an interview with DW.

«If DESS has chosen to accuse the Ukrainian church in court, citing Russian documents as evidence, as the best option for state-church relations, it is difficult to call this the right path for the state. Personally, I think that the leadership of the DESS is deliberately creating this provocation in order to exacerbate social problems and compromise Ukraine in front of its international partners,» — said Metropolitan Clement.

At the same time, the bishop is convinced that in other state institutions, including the courts, there are competent people who will take into account the legal nuances that are ignored by the DESS.

“Fortunately, the leadership of most important state institutions includes sober-minded and responsible people who do not succumb to populism and provocations. Moreover, the church has always had strong support — God’s protection,” — the metropolitan concluded.

We will remind you that recently, the head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience (DESS), Viktor Yelensky, announced that his agency is preparing a lawsuit to terminate the registration of the Kyiv Metropolis of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The official stated that the DESS is thus responding to the UOC’s statement refusing to comply with the state’s requirements set forth in anti-church law No. 3894.