Sudden: Ministry of Culture accuses UOC of manipulation
This statement was made by the director of the Department for Religious and Ethnic Affairs under the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine Andrei Yurash on November 21 at a press conference "Results and Challenges of the State-Confessional Policy in Ukraine" held at the "Ukrinform" agency on November 21. According to a UOJ correspondent, the main topic was the trial between the UOC and the Ministry of Culture regarding the re-registration of communities, as well as the situation with the rights of believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the country.
At a press conference, Andrei Yurash and people's deputy Viktor Yelensky said that Ukraine has no problems in the religious sphere, and conflict situations arise solely through the fault of the UOC, which does not meet "positive steps of the Department for establishing cooperation and dialogue".
The reason for the trial between the UOC and the Ministry of Culture was that of the 15 packages of documents submitted for the re-registration of statutes, only four were registered.
In recent years, the UOC has lost more than 40 churches during raider attacks by representatives of the Kyiv Patriarchate and the UGCC. Yurash and Yelensky call seizures "the peaceful expression of the citizens’ will" and deny the negative assessment of authorities’ interference in the religious sphere by international organizations.
Read also
Kosovo to enact law restricting Serbian Church, experts say
Analysts warn that the new "Law on Foreigners" in Kosovo could restrict the presence of clergy, believers' access to shrines, and increase pressure on the Serbian community.
Congress Speaker: Demand to introduce Sharia law in USA is a serious problem
The Speaker of the House of Representatives stated that there is growing concern in society about attempts to impose Islamic law, which is incompatible with the American Constitution.
UK government introduces restrictions on "anti-Muslim hostility"
UK authorities have adopted a new definition of "Islamophobia" which, according to experts, could provide Muslims with special protection and restrict freedom of speech.
Dumenko brings icon in Church Slavonic to Ministry of Health
Epifaniy presented cardiologists with an Intercession icon, with inscriptions in Church Slavonic, which his structure calls a "sign of the Moscow tradition".
ISIS supporters carries out terrorist attack at anti-Islamic protest in NY
Near the home of New York's Muslim mayor, radicals threw two makeshift bombs at protesters during an anti-Islamic rally.
Hryshchuk: If UOC hands over its church itself, angle grinders aren't needed
An OCU chaplain called on UOC believers to accept the loss of the shrine for the sake of their own "enlightenment".