New Concept of the UOC-MP on Church-State Relations in Social Policy Presented

KYIV - On June 16, 2010, at the Kyiv Cave Monastery, a concept of development of church-state relations in the area of social policy and new social initiatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) was presented. The event was attended by Andrii Cherkasov, deputy head of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, Archdeacon Serhii Kosovskyi, head of the Synodal Department of Charity and Social Ministry of the UOC-MP, heads of a number of structures of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, representatives of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, and heads and workers of a number of Synodal Departments of the UOC-MP.

RISU was informed by Yurii Chornomorets that the presentation and discussion of the concept was held as a round table. The representatives of the church provided numerous arguments in favor of the concept and tried to prove the usefulness and practicality of the proposed initiatives.

The concept was presented by Serhii Kosovskyi. The document develops the provisions of the social concept of the church. According to the concept, social wellbeing is possible when the basic vital needs of people, both social and spiritual, are met. The church should participate not only in meeting the latter but also in overcoming problems connected with the crises in meeting the elementary needs of many people. The goals of the concept are traditional: to overcome poverty, protect childhood, socialize and educate the youth, protect the family and traditional values. The Russian Orthodox Church today sees the following priorities for itself: involving youth in social work, supporting the volunteer youth movement, legislatively expanding the practice of alternative service of young people.

"It is also important for us that representatives of other churches approve it. We have positive experience of cooperation with other denominations," noted Archbishop Serhii Kosovskyi.

The representatives of the synodal departments stressed that today it is possible to donate to charity not more than 5% of one's income. According to them there is a need to change the tax law in favor of donors. The charity funds should be directed to those joint projects of the state and church that were part of the network of the social activity of the state. Of interest is also the experience of directing part of the taxes toward the churches according to the choice of the tax payer.

The UOC-MP proposes an initiative of introducing obligatory civil service for youth after they complete secondary education for this would facilitate overcoming the crises phenomena in the life of youth and its socialization. Such service led by chaplains would help form a new face of youth. The UOC-MP argues that today the volunteer activity changes young people for better.

In its initiatives, the UOC-MP relies on its big experience in social work. The archdeacon mentioned the experience of volunteer work, the activity of the Faith, Hope, Love Foundation, implementing programs to prevent early social orphanhood, regional programs, work in medical institutions, especially, hospices.

The UOC-MP aims to fill the vacuum which has existed in the society after the disappearance of the compulsory service ideology. The church calls to solve social problems on the basis of accepting traditional values and not on the basis of strange foreign recipes.

We have more than a million conscripts in the army but due to 32 grounds for release from the service, this reserve in reality is reduced to a minimum and only meets the basic needs of the army. Therefore, the proposals require additional study.

Archdeacon Kosovskyi proposed to improve the law so that young people unable to serve in the army could participate in alternative service, such as young people who are not healthy enough for the army but healthy enough for social ministry.

According to UOC-MP representatives, the current main problem is the problem of non-recognition by the state of the social workers of the church. Extensive substantial changes of the law are needed.

The UOC representatives are convinced that while there is no legislative regulation, pilot projects should be implemented. The concept proposes in this regard to set up a state-church council to coordinate the joint social work.

Andrii Cherkasov stressed that the proposed concept is wider than the concept of ministry and therefore should be passed to Vice Prime Minister Semynozhenko as the ministry alone cannot approve the initiatives. At the same time the deputy minister promised cooperation within the capacity of the ministry.