Court begins to hear a claim of UOC against the Ministry of Culture

On November 22, the Kiev District Administrative Court began the hearing of the lawsuit filed by the UOC against the Ministry of Culture regarding the non-registration of statutes of the eparchies and monasteries of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. On his Facebook page, Protopriest Alexander Bakhov, the head of the UOC's Legal Department, said that the last set of documents was filed in May 2015.

"Unexpectedly, but predictably, today Mr. Yurash (director of the Department for Religious and Ethnic Affairs) and Papayani (head of the Monitoring and Registration Department of the Statutes of Religious Organizations) came to "save face"," writes Protopriest Alexander Bakhov. "It did not strengthen the legal position, but a fuss was made. As for me, a lawyer from the Ministry of Culture without them coped well. Or maybe they are nervous. But why, if they acted within the law?"

The head of the UOC Legal Department shared his impressions of the court session: "After listening to Mr. Yurash, I got the impression that the Law "On Freedom of Conscience" is legally binding only for applicants (the UOC), and not for the Ministry of Culture. It looks as if it’s up to Mr. Yurash to register a statute or not, to send it for revision or to forward it to the expert council, to consider the statutes …for two years – they are doing so! And it turns out that the UOC itself is to blame and must prove the illegality of the actions of the Ministry of Culture."

Father Alexander stressed that the duty to prove the validity of decisions or inaction is the responsibility of the Ministry of Culture (Article 71, paragraph 2 of the Code of Administrative Court Procedure).

Read also

Dumenko: The enemy has destroyed Ukranian liturgical language for centuries

Epifaniy assured that "imperial invaders" burned Ukrainian liturgical literature.

TRC releases previously detained priest of UOC's Ovruch Eparchy

Believers are thanked for their support and prayers.

Vance: A broken culture tends to turn young people into androgynous idiots

U.S. Vice President stated that modern society seeks to erase differences between genders, shaping people "who think the same, talk the same, and act the same."

In Volyn, UOC priests receive gratitude from AFU for volunteering

The clergy noted that they have always been supported by parishioners and communities willing to share their last resources.

Vance: We don't worry about earthly rewards but how we're doing before God

The Vice President of America shared that he is doing his best to follow God’s will.

Vance: Death is a bad thing, but losing your soul is much more terrible

"The fundamental tenant of the Christian faith is that the Son of God became man, He died and then He raised Himself from the dead," the U.S. Vice President reminded Americans.