ADVISOR IN OFFICE OF PRESIDENT OPPOSES BAN OF MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE IN UKRAINE
An advisor to the head of the office of the president, Mikhail Podoliak, commented on the draft law for prohibiting the activity of the Moscow patriarchate in Ukraine, noting that, in contrast to the RPTs [Russian Orthodox Church], the UPTsMP [Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate] occupies a different position. This was reported by the Department of Information and Enlightenment of the UPTsMP, citing Ukraina-24.
Mikhail Podoliak was critical of the idea of banning the activity in Ukraine of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate and he emphasized that the positions of the RPTs and the UPTs with regard to the war in Ukraine do not correspond: "The UPTs occupied a different position."
The official urged against speculating on the religion theme: "I would ask that people not speculate on this because we could have an internal conflict, while today we need unity, which Ukraine has demonstrated to the whole world, which is much more principled and much more important."
The UPTsMP also viewed negatively the draft law regarding prohibiting the Moscow patriarchate in Ukraine. The legal department of this confession notes that law enforcement agencies do not make accusations against the UPTsMP with respect to violations of the national security, sovereignty, or territorial integrity of Ukraine. In addition, church attorneys think that a ban on belonging to the UPTsMP violates the right to freedom of religious confession, which violates the European Convention on Human Rights and the constitution of Ukraine. [. . .]
A number of Ukrainian experts supported the draft law, stressing that the Moscow patriarchate in Ukraine is the last outpost of Putinist Russia in our state. (tr. by PDS, posted 31 March 2022)
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