Rovno region deputies campaign for OCU during working hours

The building of the Rovno Regional Council

On January 23, 2019, deputies of the Rovno Regional Council decided to appeal to UOC clerics and laity in the Rovno region to go to the OCU, reports the official site of the regional council.

This decision was approved by the deputies of the 7th convocation of the Rovne Regional Council "in accordance with Article 43 of the Law of Ukraine ‘On Local Self-Government in Ukraine’".

The authors of the appeal called on the believers and clergy of the canonical Church to “courageously make a responsible and historic decision on the final withdrawal from the ROC for the early unification of Ukrainian Orthodoxy into a single local Orthodox Church”. 

The deputies also “reminded” the believers that on January 17, 2019, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted bill No. 4128, which regulates the process of transfer of religious communities to the OCU.

The representatives of the authorities decided to involve district and city councils of other cities of regional significance in the pro-OCU campaign so that they would make similar decisions.

We recall that Article 35 of the Constitution of Ukraine prohibits the state from recognizing any religion as obligatory and states that every Ukrainian has the right to freedom of beliefs and religion.

The unconstitutional activities of local governments in various regions of Ukraine caused a wave of people’s indignation. In connection with the numerous complaints of Ukrainians about the violation of the right to freedom of religion, the Vinnitsa region police, for example, reminded local governments that the organization of religious communities’ activities is beyond their authority.

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