OCU cleric: UOC priests change jurisdiction to become chaplains in the Armed Forces of Ukraine

The clergy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church cannot hold the position of military chaplains in the Armed Forces of Ukraine due to legislative restrictions related to national security. In this regard, some of them decide to move to the OCU and other religious organizations to get the opportunity to serve in the army, according to the cleric of the OCU, Major Leontiy Nikitenko, Novynarnya publication reports.

Nikitenko stressed that the current law does not allow representatives of religious organizations affiliated with the aggressor state to be admitted to military units. “This is regulated by the state. There is a law, and, as they say, ‘nothing personal’ is a matter of security,” the officer said.

At the same time, according to Nikitenko, there are many patriotic people among the priests of the UOC for whom “the concepts of patriotism, sacrifice and love for their people are not empty words.” He noted that there are a number of cases when such clergymen change jurisdiction, and after appropriate verification, they become military chaplains. This process has especially intensified since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.

As a reminder, the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience (SESC) has issued 834 mandates for the right to carry out military chaplaincy activities. It is noted that the Evangelical Protestant churches rank second in terms of the number of mandates received, and there are women among the chaplains. The first position is occupied by representatives of the OCU.

At the same time, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved amendments to the “Regulations on the procedure for issuing a mandate for the right to carry out military chaplaincy activities” in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to the new amendments, priests of the UOC are permanently banned from carrying out chaplaincy activities in the military units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.