On August 20, 2024, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a law on the activities of religious organizations by 265 votes, which can unite Ukrainian society. The vast majority of Ukrainians do not accept the connection of any organization in Ukraine with the Russian state. In particular, this applies to Ukrainian religious organizations.
The so-called “Russian Orthodox Church” has become a de facto part of the state apparatus of Putin's criminal totalitarian regime and is used by Russia to justify and support aggression against Ukraine and Putin's insane policies in general.
The Russian Orthodox Church sanctifies Russian actions and justifies the atrocities that Russians have brought to Ukraine. There can be no possibility for such Russian structures to operate in Ukraine, either directly or through organizations dependent on the ROC.
Law “On the Protection of the Constitutional Order with regard to the Activities of Religious Organizations” (8371) encourages religious organizations in Ukraine to break their existing ties with the Russian state, with the governing centers of the so-called “Russian Orthodox Church” operating in Russia.
This is an absolutely civilized and democratic law that establishes a transparent legal procedure for identifying ties with Russia.
This will be done by the expertise of the State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience, which will form an impartial and independent commission of experts. Then, through the judicial procedure, all the facts will be established and the break of ties with Russia will be ensured.
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church must be freed from dependence on Russian state structures and gain true independence from Moscow.
The law also stipulates that church organizations dependent on Russia will not be able to use state and municipal property, which is fair and also regulated by the relevant legal procedure.
This law does not prohibit the activities of the UOC, because we are protecting religious freedom in our society.
But it does put an end to the influence of the Russian criminal state and its accomplice, the Moscow Patriarchate, on Ukraine, and encourages church structures in Ukraine to get rid of this destructive dependence. And this is an absolutely achievable goal for the UOC.
This was supported by the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations at a meeting with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and it was stated openly (https://vrciro.ua/en/news/statement-by-members-of-the-ukrainian-council-of-churches-and-religious-organizations).
President Zelensky emphasized that this way allows people to exercise their rights and freedom to freely confess and choose a religion and at the same time guarantee Ukraine's spiritual independence.