"This is elementary," VR Committee favours ban on UOC chaplains

Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security and Defense

The official website of the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on National Security and Defense published a transcript of the meeting of September 5, 2018, during which the issues of restricting the rights and freedoms of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church were openly discussed, reports the Information and Education Department of the UOC.

According to the records, MP from the People’s Front Yuri Bereza took the initiative to ban the activities of the UOC "in the territories of all military formations, including the border guard service, the National Guard, and the Security Service". He also said that he had already made such a proposal to the Acting Minister of Defense, Lieutenant General Petrenko.

During the discussion, Bereza’s initiative was supported by the Chairman of the Committee, deputy Sergey Pashinsky, who proposed to immediately address the President and noted that “the problem will be finally solved after receiving the Tomos”.

MP Irina Lutsenko assured all those present of the Tomos bestowal.

“I think after we receive the Tomos, Ukraine will have an independent Local Ukrainian Church as part of our independence and sovereignty. We will solve these issues not only with the help of the Supreme Commander but also with the help of people's deputies, too,” the politician promised.

As a result, Sergey Pashinsky agreed that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which he called the “fifth column”, had no place in the army, therefore, appropriate measures should be taken.

“Dear Yuri Nikolayevich, with your permission, I believe that the question you raised should not really arise, this is a serious question. <...> I will send the appropriate letters, Mr. Rusnak, take under control, to the Supreme Commander Poroshenko and the Minister of Defense about the inadmissibility of being in the territory of military units for the Church of the aggressor state. These are elementary things,” said the deputy.

Earlier, the Deputy Chairman of the UOC Department for Cooperation with the Armed Forces and Other Military Units of Ukraine Archimandrite Luke (Vinarchuk) reported of the directives by the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to prevent UOC chaplains from pastoring the servicemen. In turn, the General Staff deny such orders.

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