Ukraine’s President Speaks on Church-State Relations

KYIV – On May 13, 2010, at the first session of the Public Humanitarian Council, Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovych spoke on church-state relations, reports the presidential website.

The president stressed: “The humanitarian policy in modern Ukraine should gradually bring our society to the state when the differences in the historic development of the regions and their cultural traditions are no longer used for political purposes: It is only then that we will be able to fully state that we have integrated into the cultural space of the united Europe.”

As for church-state relations, President Yanukovych said: “The church is a powerful factor of the spiritual improvement of the society, rise of its morality, responsibility before the present and future generations. For the Ukrainian state, all the churches and religious organizations are equal and at the same time native. We will require observance of this principle by state officials at all levels. The state will never interfere in the matters of the church. This should be dealt with by the communities and the soul of each person.  Dividing people on the basis of religious, national, or language attributes is a grave sin. The Ukrainian state will not interfere in inter-church matters but we should as much as possible facilitate reconciliation and the overcoming of confrontations and misunderstandings.”

According to the president, the main objective in the area of church-state- elations is “to create the most favorable conditions for the realization of the spiritual mission of the church.”

The report of the president also stressed that the use of wide cultural autonomy of the regions with the right to define their own cultural policy will secure preservation of the inter-ethnic and inter-confessional peace in Ukraine.

Yanukovych also spoke about preserving and actualizing the national cultural and historic heritage. “In this area we must legalize the preservation of the historic environment of our cities, first of all, the historic zone of the Sophia of Kyiv and Kyiv Cave Monastery in the capital of Ukraine. Illegal site development on the slopes and banks of the Dnipro, parks, and public gardens in Kyiv and other cities should be stopped,” stressed the report.