UOC Chancellor gives the number of UOC temples seized by schismatics

Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich). Photo: law.church.ua

On September 20, 2021, at a meeting of representatives of the eparchial legal departments of the UOC, Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich), the UOC Chancellor, spoke about the number of churches seized by schismatics, reports the website of the Legal Department of the UOC.

In his speech to the participants of the event, Metropolitan Anthony emphasized that, despite the declaration of a partner model of state-church relations by some politicians in Ukraine, a situation with discrimination on the religious ground continues to form in society.

In particular, Vladyka recalled the injustice of the two laws in force in Ukraine, which the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has been talking about for the past three years, calling them anti-church and unconstitutional.

“On the one hand, this is Law No. 2662-VIII of Ukraine (on renaming), which blocked the activities of religious organizations of the UOC, making it impossible to update data in the state registers of Ukraine (land cadastre, register of rights and register of legal entities). On the other hand, Law No. 2673-VIII of Ukraine (on change of subordination), which provides for the possibility of interference in the activities of the parish and introduces an uncontrolled system of registration of religious organizations," said the bishop.

According to him, “the consequence of the adoption of the above-mentioned laws of Ukraine is blatant statistics of illegal re-registration of religious communities (about 500 cases, the figure is approximate because it happens in secret), raider seizures of churches (144 cases), beatings of priests and laity, arson (26 cases), acts of vandalism (22 cases), robbery (42 cases), intimidation and blackmail, which take place in the lives of believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church,” said the UOC Chancellor.

Metropolitan Anthony emphasized that it is these cases that have determined the direction of the work of human rights defenders of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in recent years.

In addition, Vladyka stressed that in April this year the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court determined in the courts of which jurisdiction one can protect one's rights from illegal re-registration and raider seizure – cases of this category should be considered in the course of economic proceedings.

Vladyka also drew attention to the fact that "the development of a unified approach to solving existing problems is evidence of church unity".

As reported, a meeting of representatives of legal departments of UOC eparchies took place at the Kyiv Lavra.

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