Despite martial law, the Ukrainian government ensures a high level of religious freedom, which is also facilitated by the judicial system. The only exceptions are the territories of Ukraine temporarily controlled by the Russian occupation authorities.
Source: Vrciro.ua
The situation of religious communities in the context of Russian aggression was discussed during a meeting of representatives of the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (UCCRO) with a delegation of the World Council of Churches (WCC), which arrived in Kyiv and led by the Rev. Dr. Jerry Pillay, Secretary General of the WCC.
"In Ukraine, freedom of religion is respected, and there are no religious persecutions during the war. However, the situation of believers in the Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia as a result of armed aggression remains extremely dangerous. Terror against civilians, especially religious leaders, is a common tactic of intimidation and subjugation for the Russian occupation authorities. We hope that the voice of the WCC will also be heard internationally in defense of believers who suffer daily because of the presence of Russian occupiers on Ukrainian soil," said Bishop Vyacheslav Horpynchuk, UCCRO Chairman.
During the meeting on May 11, 2023 in Kyiv, representatives of Ukrainian churches and religious organizations shared with the WCC delegation the experience of interfaith cooperation in Ukraine and spoke about the pastoral and humanitarian activities of churches during the war. At the same time, Ukrainian religious leaders drew attention to Russia's use of religion in the war against Ukraine. The ideology of the "Russkiy Mir" (Russian World) is an example that the Kremlin and the Russian military are trying to implement this concept during a full-scale invasion committing a real genocide of the Ukrainian people.
The UCCRO representatives, who in 2022 were delegates to the WCC Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany, thanked the WCC Secretary General for the opportunity to participate in this event and testified to the openness of the UCCRO to further cooperation with the WCC at the international level.
The Ukrainian religious leaders expressed their wishes to the World Council of Churches for further support of Ukraine, including in countering Russian propaganda that distorts the facts and justifies Russia's brutal war against the Ukrainian civilian population.
The WCC delegation is visiting Ukraine from May 10 to 13. In addition to meeting with the UCCRO representatives, foreign religious leaders held separate meetings with representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.