Minister of Veterans' Affairs of Ukraine Yulia Laputina is confident that military chaplains who, together with Ukrainian soldiers, defended the country in the East, have the right to receive the status of a combatant and appropriate guarantees and social protection.
This is reported by the Government Portal.
On January 22, during a meeting with the Chairman of the Synodal Department of military clergy of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan John of Cherkasy and Chihyryn, and archpriest Dmytro Karan, deputy chairman of the SUVD for work with veterans, ATO/OOS volunteers and their families, they discussed further cooperation between the Ministry of Veterans and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
According to Bishop John, today there are more than half a thousand military chaplains in the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. All of them, after going through the war in the East, continue to serve in dioceses and help veterans heal by faith and return to life in their families and community.
"Military chaplains were among the first to support the Ukrainian defenders in the war. Every day they strengthened their morale, supported their faith. The state, society, and chaplains are partners in strengthening national unity and protecting Ukraine," Yulia Laputina said.
During the meeting, a detailed cooperation plan was discussed with representatives of the territorial departments of the Ministry of Veterinary Affairs and regional dioceses. It is aimed at solving the problems of veterans and families of fallen defenders of Ukraine, developing cooperation on psychological and social rehabilitation.
We also agreed to involve a representative of the Orthodox Church in the operational headquarters of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs to coordinate assistance during the coronavirus pandemic.