Moscow, August 27, 2024
Photo: spzh.live
On August 24, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia addressed the primates of the Local Orthodox Churches, other religious leaders, and representatives of international organizations regarding the Ukrainian Parliament’s adoption of Bill 8371, which according to Ukrainian MPs and politicians is intended to ban the 1,000-year-old Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
After the penning of his appeals, the bill was signed into law by President Vladimir Zelensky.
In addition to the primates of the Local Orthodox Churches, Pat. Kirill also wrote to various Non-Chalcedonian, Catholic, and Protestant leaders, the World Council of Churches, UN Human Rights representatives, and representatives of other international organizations, reports Patriarchia.ru.
In his message to Orthodox primates, Pat. Kirill writes:
It is with a feeling of deep concern that I inform you that on August 20, 2024, the Parliament of Ukraine adopted the law “On the Protection of the Constitutional Order in the Sphere of Activities of Religious Organizations,” the actual purpose of which is the legislative ban of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
The blatant contradictions between the provisions of this law and the norms of the Constitution of Ukraine, its international agreements, human rights and fundamental principles of law have been repeatedly noted in documents of major international human rights organizations.
Further, he called on them to “offer holy prayers for the strengthening of the Orthodox archpastors, pastors and believers in Ukraine and to raise their primatial voice in their defense.”
In his addresses to other religious and secular leaders, the Patriarch writes:
For many years, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has been persecuted by the Ukrainian state authorities. A slanderous anti-church campaign has been launched against its clergy and believers in the media, aimed at defamation of canonical Orthodoxy, as well as provoking and justifying violence, beatings of believers and clergy, and mass seizures of churches, called “voluntary transitions.” A number of archpastors, priests, and laymen have been arrested and imprisoned on fabricated criminal charges.
Having failed to weaken the canonical Church in Ukraine, having failed to shake its unity, the authorities decided to ban it completely. As a result of the adoption of the current law, hundreds of monasteries, thousands of communities, millions of Orthodox believers in Ukraine will find themselves outside the legal field, will lose their property and place of prayer.
The glaring contradictions of the provisions of this law with the norms of the Constitution of Ukraine, its international agreements, human rights and fundamental principles of law have been repeatedly stated in documents of major human rights organizations. The anti-church policy of the Ukrainian authorities has been criticized by the international community for many years. The Moscow Patriarchate has repeatedly testified to the dire situation of Ukrainian believers and the persecution waged against them.
The Patriarch also called on the heads and representatives of non-Orthodox Churches and religious organizations to raise their voices in defense of the persecuted believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
The same day, the World Council of Churches issued a statement expressing its alarm at Ukraine’s actions.
While supporting Ukraine’s right to defend itself in the war with Russia,
the WCC is deeply alarmed by the potential for unjustified collective punishment of an entire religious community and violation of the principles of freedom of religion or belief under a new law approved by the Ukrainian Rada on 20 August 2024. The new law now awaits the signature of President Zelensky. We call again on the Ukrainian government to exercise caution in relation to measures that risk violating the fundamental right to freedom of religion or belief and undermining social cohesion at this time of national emergency.
The organization “plead[s] that there be a fair and unbiased approach” to the investigation of any church or monastery under the provisions of the new law, “and that due consideration be given to the principles of international law, natural justice and due process.”
The statement concludes:
Neither the crimes of some individuals, nor the historical affiliations of a particular religious entity, can be a sufficient basis for measures tantamount to collective punishment of a living worshipping religious community in Ukraine. The government of Ukraine is responsible for protecting the rights of all its citizens.
Pope Francis also referred the new law in an address on Sunday:
I continue to follow with sorrow the fighting in Ukraine and the Russian Federation. And in thinking about the laws recently adopted in Ukraine, I fear for the freedom of those who pray, because those who truly pray always pray for all. A person does not commit evil because of praying. If someone commits evil against his people, he will be guilty for it, but he cannot have committed evil because he prayed. So let those who want to pray be allowed to pray in what they consider their Church. Please, let no Christian Church be abolished directly or indirectly. Churches are not to be touched!
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