Ukraine remains committed to keeping all churches open, with no plans to close down any in the foreseeable future. According to Olena Kovalska, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC-MP) has not officially severed its ties with the aggressor state.
"We are committed to upholding democratic values and operating within a legal framework. The laws that pertain to the UOC are strictly within the realm of legality. The state has not, and will not, take actions to close any churches in the foreseeable future. It is essential for the UOC-MP to reconsider its ties to the aggressor country," Kovalska stated in a recent interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
She explained that the expectation is similar for businesses and other entities: there must be no association with an aggressor country.
Kovalska highlighted that the potential risks are even greater for religious institutions due to their significant influence over the populace.
She reiterated that the UOC has not been banned in connection with the Moscow Patriarchate in Ukraine. “According to the law 'On the Protection of the Constitutional Order in the Sphere of Religious Organizations,' the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church are prohibited as they serve as an ideological extension of the Russian regime, which is involved in crimes against humanity. The UOC should sever ties with this organization, after which it would be able to operate freely and without hindrance,” Kovalska stressed.
Additionally, she clarified that Ukraine does not require the UOC to change its worship language, alter its calendar, declare autocephaly, or join another church.
Kovalska noted that the UOC leadership has yet to comply with directives from the State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience. Consequently, this agency has moved to file a lawsuit aimed at dissolving the Kyiv Metropolis, the governing body of the UOC. Essentially, the UOC is contesting its right to remain under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate. Nonetheless, Kovalska concluded, it could still choose to follow the order to detach from a center actively seeking to undermine Ukraine and continue to operate independently within the country.