UOC warned against adoption of “raider” draft law (VIDEO)

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church urges MPs not to vote for draft law #4128. The UOC representatives told about it on October 5 at the Information Agency “Ukrainian News” at the press-conference “Threat to the religious community in Ukraine: why Churches request MPs not to vote for draft law # 4128.”

Experts believe the document blurs the distinction between the notions of religious and municipal communities and enables people, who are remote form the church life, to have a serious influence on it.

“Representatives of all denominations in Ukraine stood up against this draft law, except for the Kiev Patriarchate, because the draft law is lobbied by this namely confession, underscored Archpriest Nikolay Danilevich, Deputy Chief of the UOC Department for External Church Relations. – This draft law can add to the existing problems in the religious sphere of Ukraine: a new wave of interreligious and inter-faith conflicts is likely to start.”

Nikolay Danilevich also noted the draft law does not comply with the Constitution of Ukraine and contradicts the internal charters of religious denominations. Apart from that, it fails to meet the requirements of the European Convention for Human Rights.

Archpriest Alexandr Bakhov, Chairperson of the UOC Law Department, noted that adoption of this draft law will legitimize church raiding, having been frequent enough already in Ukraine.

“There have been illegally seized nearly 40 temples of the UOC in Western Ukraine, emphasized Alexandr Bakhov. – Normally these raids were carried out through violence, deceit, bribery and other unlawful acts. Kiev Patriarchate adepts and some deputies turn up in a village. They begin agitating the local residents to change the statute. Then referendums or village meetings follow and the decision is made that the religious community of the certain populated center will change its jurisdiction. Such meetings are attended by the people who are affiliated to different communities, nevertheless, they also take part in solving the jurisdiction issue. It is contrary to the law.”

Archpriest Nikolay Danilevich noted pointedly that the main scientific-expert administration of the VR recommended to decline this draft law. Despite this fact it is put forward to voting.

“We want the MPs to realize their full responsibility for the implications tomorrow’s voting might entail,” underscored Mr. Danilevich.