Rada plans to consider discriminatory chaplaincy law on Thursday

Rada is to consider the chaplaincy law. Photo: timeforaction.in.ua

The Verkhovna Rada plans to consider on April 29 the draft law "On the Service of Military Chaplaincy" No. 4626, which is confessionally biased and deprives servicemen–believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of pastoral care, reports the Institute of Religious Freedom (IRF).

Representatives of various confessions, except for the UOC, were involved in the development of the bill. It is noted that the majority of the members of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (AUCCRO) supported it, and "only one confession proposed to supplement the text of the law with additional provisions".

"The members of the AUCCRO reminded the Prime Minister of Ukraine about the need to support draft Law No. 4626 during a meeting last week," the IRF noted.

Earlier, experts pointed out the discriminatory nature of this bill in relation to military personnel who are believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, depriving them of the right to pastoral care from the clergy of their Church, and, consequently, to ensuring the constitutional principle of equality of citizens regardless of religious beliefs.

As reported earlier, the people's deputy from the Servant of the People party Sviatoslav Yurash – the son of the well-known opponent of the UOC Andrei Yurash – is promoting the chaplaincy law together with the OCU.

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