On Monday, a bill was introduced in the Ukrainian parliament, allowing the banning of the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UPC), which is considered canonical by Moscow.
Kiev accuses the UPC of undermining Ukraine's unity and ties to the Russian Orthodox Church (RPC), which it says supports Moscow's war against Ukraine. The UPC maintains that it declared independence from the RPC in May 2022, three months after the war began.
Under the bill
the courts could ban religious organizations whose members were convicted of inter-religious discrimination or war propaganda.
The latter crime includes, among other things, what is described as the justification of Russian aggression against Ukraine. After the introduction, the bill must go before the relevant parliamentary committee before it goes before the plenary session of the parliament.
Pavlo, Metropolitan of the UPC, vicar of the Pechersk Lavra Cave Monastery in Kyiv, has already been notified by the Ukrainian authorities that he is being accused of inciting inter-religious hatred and spreading materials justifying Russian aggression.
The Orthodox priest denied these accusations.
The justification of the draft regulation refers to the fact that the UPC is considered an integral part of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Kremlin described the actions of the Kyiv leadership against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church as illegal.
(MTI)
Cover photo: Ukrainian security service men in front of the Pechersk Lavra monastery in Kyiv (Photo: EPA/Ukrainian security service)
