On August 10, 2015,the third Interreligious meeting took placeat the Shrine of Merciful God the Father, bringing together more than 20 representatives of Christian Churches and communities of Zaporizhia.
On August 10, 2015,the third Interreligious meeting took placeat the Shrine of Merciful God the Father, bringing together more than 20 representatives of Christian Churches and communities of Zaporizhia.
At this meeting, representatives of Christian associations signed a separate appeal to the President of Ukraine and head of the Supreme Council, demanding to prevent amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine, prepared by the Working Group on Human Rights of the Constitutional Commission.
As emphasized by representatives of theChurches, Article 51 of the current Constitution of Ukraine defines marriage as a union of men and women (Article 51. Marriage is based on free consent of a woman and a man), while these concepts were obliterated in the proposed amendment (Article 27 Right to marriage, to create a family is guaranteed by law). As such, the new version does not define sex and number of partners in marriage.
In addition, the statement says, Article 35 proposesamendmentregarding the sexual orientation and the prohibition of discrimination on this ground. Thus, it will be prohibited to call a sin a sin and all who would do this will become perpetrators of law. The above plans to change the constitution in these issues pose serious threats to the family institution in Ukraine, creating a foundation for the legalization of same-sex partnerships unacceptable to the moral health of society and prosecution of morality based on God's commandments.
The appeal was signed:
- Senior pastor of the Regional Association of Evangelical Christian Baptists in Zaporizha region Metlenko;
- Donetsk Exarch of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Bishop Stepan (Menyok);
- General vicar bishop of the dioceses of Kharkiv and Zaporizhia of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine Ian Sobilo;
- Bishop of Zaporizhia and Melitopol of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church –kyiv Patriarchate Bishop Fotiy (Davydenko);
- Senior pastor of the Association of Churches of Evangelical Pentecostal Christians of Zaporizhia region Hedarevych;
- Senior Pastor, Bishop of Zaporizhiaregion of the Christian Charismatic Church "Source of Life" Haschenko;
The meeting also discussed the preparation of the March for Life, which is scheduled for September 27, 2015 in Kyiv.