Council of Churches Asks President to Veto Alterations to Law on Freedom of Worship
“On behalf of our churches, which unite tens of millions of believing citizens of Ukraine, we are earnestly calling on Ukraine’s President as the guarantor of the constitutional rights and freedoms of citizens to use his right of veto regarding Bill 10221 passed by the Parliament on October 16, 2012, in the part of the prevention of making alterations to the effective Law of Ukraine “On freedom of conscience and religious organizations,” reads the Address of representatives of Christian Churches of Ukraine to the President signed by the Chairman of the Council, Bishop of the Church of Christians of the Evangelical Faith, Mykhailo Panochko, reported the Institute for Religious Freedom (ІRF).
The address says that after the meeting of President Yanukovych with the Heads of churches and religious organizations on October 17, it became known that some ministries and agencies seek to propose to the presidential administration an alternative solution according to which the law will be elaborated and alterations will be made upon signing of the law.
The address was supported by the heads and authorized representatives of:
- The Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate;
- The Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate;
- The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church;
- The Church of Christians of Evangelical Faith of Ukraine;
- The All-Ukrainian Union of Associations of Evangelical Christians Baptists;
- The Brotherhood of Independent Churches and Missions of Evangelical Christians Baptists of Ukraine;
- The Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine;
- The Ukrainian Christian Evangelical Church;
- The Ukrainian Lutheran Church.
