Bishop Comments on the Protests Against New Tax Code

Bishop of Ternopil and Buchach Nestor (Pysyk) of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate commented on the protests against the new tax code in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. He advised entrepreneurs to defend their rights peacefully and without conflicts. "It has to be done morally and God will help in achieving the desired goals," said the bishop.

The bishop recommends the authorities listen to all people, the citizens, rather than a handful of oligarchs. "Only then will there be peace in the country and the people will respect and the country authorities," said the bishop.

"In any situation there are people who are not satisfied. Therefore, government must use wisdom - its representatives should do like the wise authorities in the Bible, such as King Solomon. Then the state will flourish and the government and people will be happy. On the other hand, we should remember examples from the Holy Scripture when the wicked people were coming to power, the state and the nation fell into decay," said Bishop Nestor.

He noted that the church should worry about any injustice in society. "All the laws in the country should serve to protect all people, not separate them into groups. But on the other hand, we have to understand that some forces are trying to use the protests as a political tool,” commented the bishop.

Tens, maybe hundreds, of thousands attended the tax code protest rallies across Ukraine as pressure mounted on President Viktor Yanukovych to choose.

The demonstrators on November 25 made three demands: veto the tax code, dismiss Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and his government, and hold parliamentary elections in 2011, as called for by the 1996 constitution now in force.