All-Ukrainian Council of Churches Supports Traditional Family and Moral Values

KYIV – Heads of Ukrainian denominations state that it is unacceptable to infringe on  traditional morals and family values under the pretext of combating discrimination against sexual minorities. Such initiatives in PACE are actually aimed to distort the public opinion on such a sinful and immoral phenomenon as homosexuality which is being imposed on Ukraine and other countries of Europe as a norm of life. This position was voiced by the participants of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (AUCCRO), reports the Institute of Religious Freedom.  

According to the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Patriarch Lubomyr (Husar), today there is a struggle going on in the world not for human rights but for values which are to become the basis of the public life and state policy.  According to him, the struggle for granting extensive rights to same-sex partnerships is actually only the imposition of a false view on the true family and morality, which is unacceptable for Ukrainian society.

The head of the Information and Publishing Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate, Bishop Yevstratii (Zoria), stressed that the loud statements and proposals as to the legal recognition of same-sex partnerships have nothing to do with human rights and human rights campaigning in the usual sense of the words. Such initiatives under the mottoes of combating discrimination are examples of acting against the traditional moral and family values professed both by Christians and representatives of other religions.

On the eve of the consideration by PACE of the draft resolution and recommendation on this issue, the heads of the denominations and believers voiced their strong objection of the attempts to introduce such immoral initiatives.

In its addresses to Ukraine's President Yanukovych, the head of the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (MFA) and the Standing Delegation to PACE of the Ukrainian parliament, AUCCRO expressed strong concern and expects explanation of the official position of Ukraine as to unreserved support by the leadership of MFA of Ukraine of the recommendation of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe "On steps to combat discrimination according to sexual orientation or gender self-identification" passed on March 31, 2010.

Similar addresses to the head of the state and MFA of Ukraine were also sent separately by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate, Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate, Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, All-Ukrainian Union of Churches of Christians of Evangelical Faith, the Pentecostals, All-Ukrainian Union of Associations of Evangelical Christians Baptists, Ukrainian Christian Evangelical Church, Ukrainian Lutheran Church, Association of Jewish Religious Organizations of Ukraine, Spiritual Board of Muslims of Ukraine and a number of other confessions.

A similar position was publicly voiced by the Council of Evangelical Protestant Churches of Ukraine and Spiritual Council of Christians in the Odesa Oblast.