Ukraine makes amendments to the Law "On Military Chaplaincy"
An article was added to the law prohibiting individuals who belong to religious organizations with headquarters in an aggressor state from serving as military chaplains.
On March 21, 2024, the Verkhovna Rada adopted in the second reading and in its entirety the draft Law of Ukraine "On Amendments to Some Laws of Ukraine on Ensuring the Rights of Servicemen and Police Officers to Social Protection" (No. 10313), which includes amendments to several laws, including the Law of Ukraine "On Military Chaplaincy". This was reported by the irs.in.ua website.
In particular, Article 7 of the Law "On Military Chaplaincy" is supplemented with a third part with the following content:
"3. A person belonging to a religious organization recognized as part of a religious organization, the governing center (administration) of which is located in a state recognized as having committed armed aggression against Ukraine and/or temporarily occupied part of the territory of Ukraine, cannot be a military chaplain."
Other amendments proposed in this Ukrainian Law during the first reading were reportedly rejected by the relevant committee during the preparation of the draft law for the second reading.
Once signed by the President of Ukraine, the law passed by the Verkhovna Rada will come into force one month after the day following its publication.
As reported by the UOJ, in April 2023, the UOC did not receive a single mandate for chaplaincy.
Later, Ukrinform hosted a broadcast with the "chief" chaplains of the UGCC and the OCU. They shared some unexpected theses for society: out of 738 chaplaincy mandates, only 165 individuals actually serve in the army (according to the Ministry of Defense – 150); clergy of the UGCC and the OCU do not want to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine (whose members are UOC believers, for the most part, who are unlawfully deprived of spiritual care) "due to various circumstances".
