Ukrainian Orthodox Church will not disappear, - UCU vice-rector

Vice-rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) Myroslav Marynovych shared his vision of the development of the Ukrainian church crisis. Marynovych believes that legislative initiatives aimed at banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church will not significantly affect the situation and will not change the attitude of the clergy and believers of the UOC to the issue of unification with the OCU and loyalty to the state authorities. In this regard, Marinovich proposed to distinguish between the ecclesiastical and legal features of the issue. He said this in an interview with Glavkom.

«I think this situation will largely remain and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church will not disappear. I remain convinced of this. They are representatives of the part of Ukraine that lives inertially in a world in which Russia is the defining power in the Eastern Slavic space. Why do the leaders and hierarchs of this church refuse to think in our way? Why do they refuse to stand up as a sign of respect for our fallen soldiers? Why do they think in Moscow’s way, not in Ukraine’s? Because Moscow remains the epicenter of power and influence for them. And they perceive the current events simply as a temporary indignation of the «correct model,» where Moscow is the epicenter of everything,» said the UCU vice rector.

At the same time, Myronych believes that the position of the state, which does not distinguish between the political and ecclesiastical aspects in the issue of the UOC, is wrong. He is convinced that the Church should not be collectively responsible for the decisions of its individual representatives.

«It is necessary to clearly separate church issues from legal ones. If the Security Service of Ukraine sees that a church leader of the UOC is acting in the interests of Russia and cooperating with it in various ways, he should be brought to justice on the basis of Ukrainian laws. This does not require closing the church, it simply requires «closing» a particular figure. I personally know members of the UOC who are patriots of Ukraine, but are simply used to realizing their religious feelings in this church, in those rites, in that environment. I cannot call them criminals and must give them the religious right to believe as they wish,» he added.

Earlier, OCU hierarch Oleksandr Drabinko also said that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church will not disappear from Ukraine, but may go underground. In his opinion, it would be much better for the OCU to establish a dialogue with the clergy and believers of the UOC than to intensify confrontation.