Renovabis foundation head: Ban on UOC will hinder Ukraine's path to EU

Photo: Thomas Schwartz, General Director of Renovabis. Source: KNA, Dieter Mayr

The head of the German organization for aid to Eastern Europe, Pastor Professor Thomas Schwartz, calls for the protection of freedom of religion in Ukraine. According to the foundation's website, "Renovabis criticizes ongoing attempts in the Ukrainian parliament to ban the Ukrainian Orthodox Church" and warns of the consequences of passing the law to ban the UOC.

"You cannot punish an entire Church with all its believers as traitors to their Ukrainian homeland," he notes.

He believes that neither all hierarchs nor the entire Church community should be equated with Russian aggressors, even if individual cases of state treason by UOC representatives are confirmed and legally proven.

"Such a legislative step by the Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, could also complicate the path to the European Union and would be a significant burden for coexistence in Ukrainian society," underscores Professor Schwartz.

The General Director of Renovabis considers the deliberate ban on an entire Church unjustified and counterproductive. In his opinion, it would also play into the hands of Russian military propaganda.

As previously reported by the UOJ, a member of the British Parliament also opposed the bill 8371.

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