UOC: Anti-oppression declaration – response of people to govt’s pressure

Head of the UOC Legal Department Protopriest Alexander Bakhov

Ukraine’s believers have the right to express their opinion about the anti-constitutional policy of the authorities, which is directed against the Church, the head of the UOC Legal Department Protopriest Alexander Bakhov comments on the “Anti-Oppression Declaration” which appeared online to "Glavovosti".

According to Father Alexander, this initiative was the response of the people of Ukraine to the oppression of the Church by the authorities.

“This is a manifestation of the position of civil society. Believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church are part of this civil society. And in the light of the threat of the liquidation of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, in the light of the seizures of churches, when the episcopate and clergy are under pressure, UOC believers have the right to manifest and express their opinion regarding these events,” the lawyer of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church said.

As the UOJ reported earlier, a collection of signatures under the “Declaration of Resistance to Oppression” has started online. It allows for every Ukrainian to declare their disagreement with the anti-Church actions of the authorities and speak out in defense of the UOC.

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