The Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate has claimed it will appeal to the Constitutional Court because of the law that obliges it to indicate its affiliation with the Russian Orthodox Church. This was stated by the Chair of the Legal Department of the UOC-MP, MP Olexandr Bakhov, Religion in Ukraine reports, referring to Hromadske.ua.
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate has claimed it will appeal to the Constitutional Court because of the law that obliges it to indicate its affiliation with the Russian Orthodox Church. This was stated by the Chair of the Legal Department of the UOC-MP, MP Olexandr Bakhov, Religion in Ukraine reports, referring to Hromadske.ua.
“We intend to protect our rights in all legal ways. Obviously, this law violates the right to freedom of religion and discriminates on religious grounds millions of believers who are Ukrainian citizens. In addition, it does not comply with the Constitution of Ukraine and violates the international obligations that our state has assumed,” he said.
The UOC-MP has previously claimed that the law passed by Verkhovna Rada interferes in its internal affairs.
On December 20, the Council obliged the UOC-MP to indicate in its title the affiliation with the Russian Orthodox Church. On December 15, the Unification Council in Kyiv established the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. Metropolitan Epifaniy of Pereyaslavl and Bila Tserkva was elected its Primate.
Upon establishment of the one Orthodox Church in Ukraine, the UOC-Kyiv Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church ceased to exist. They have dissolved themselves, and the new Church is their successor. At the same time, the UOC-MP will continue to exist separately.
According to the Charters of the UOC-MP and the Russian Orthodox Church, the former makes part of the latter, subjecting ultimately to the decision of the higher authorities of the Russian Orthodox Church.