Head of UGCC Proposes to Culture Minister to Speed Up Adoption Process of Concept of Church-State Relations
The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), Patriarch Sviatoslav Shevchuk, on October 29 met with the Minister of Culture of Ukraine Leonid Novokhatko, the Information Department of the UGCC informs.
During the meeting, the parties discussed the challenges facing Ukrainian society. The head of the UGCC proposed to restore and accelerate the process of adopting the Concept of Church-State Relations in Ukraine as the foundation of the state policy in the field of church-state relations. The concept has been developed together with experts from the government, the church, and civil society, and has been agreed on by the interfaith community of Ukraine.
According to the head of the UGCC, the Concept of Church-State Relations is a special project designed to develop church-state relations, which gain their importance after the signing of the EU-Ukraine Association.
“On the one hand, this project will adopt the provisions of a ‘secular state.’ This means that all the churches and religious organizations have the same status and are equal before the law of the state,” said the hierarch. “And on the other, it will provide a place for churches and religious organizations in the public discourse.”
The head of the UGCC believes that today Europe is undergoing secularization, which is the rejection of any signs of religious life from the public discourse.
“We believe that the concept is a clear position on the place of religion in Ukrainian society, which is essential for maintaining the characteristic of the Ukrainian state and society. This characteristic is that in Ukraine churches and religious organizations are active and important factors in civil society. Therefore, it is necessary for this to be enshrined in law and formally declared,” said the head of the UGCC.
In this context, it is considered positive that in the field of European Community law national legislation has prevalence and freedom in order to preserve national culture and identity.
In conclusion, the culture minister expressed hope for further effective cooperation and more frequent personal contacts for the common good of our people. Patriarch Sviatoslav supported this proposal and presented the head of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine photo albums of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and commemorative coins of the National Bank of Ukraine issued on the occasion of the dedication of the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv.
