MP: Poroshenko's result in the election shows Ukrainians’ attitude to Tomos

MP from the "Opposition bloc" Alexander Dolzhenkov

Direct intervention by authorities in religious affairs is illegal, and officials, believing that they are above the law, are abusing their authority. Such an opinion was expressed on the “1Kozak” channel by MPs from the “Oppobloc” Alexander Dolzhenkov and Nikolai Skorik.

Commenting on the court’s decision to recognise as unlawful the adoption of the law on the forced renaming of the UOC, Alexander Dolzhenkov said: “Parubiy, unrespected by us, thinks he is above the law, abusing the authority that this power has given him. We have proved once again that officials are obliged to act within the limits of authority.

They want to change modern Ukraine, changing the way of thinking, dividing the Ukrainians by language, religion, and foreign policy vector. We want to make the country peaceful and stable as it was before they came to power.”

Nikolai Skorik supported Alexander Dolzhenkov. According to him, “the court made an absolutely right decision with regard to this “church” law. In general, these laws are an attempt of state raiding, a violation of the Constitution, where the Church is separated from the state. Direct state intervention in religious affairs, despite the fact that the UOC religious community is huge. And when some media and politicians begin to say that this is the Church of the neighbouring state, it is absolutely not true. It is governed by the Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from Ukraine. The Primate is Metropolitan Onufry – a citizen of Ukraine, who was elected by the members of the Synod, also Ukrainians. There is no interference, and the state should not interfere in its life.

The result of Poroshenko in the election, with the Tomos and faith to be key elements in his programme, showed the attitude of Ukrainians to this."

We recall that the UOC appealed to the court with a request to recognize the decision of the Ministry of Culture, which obliges it to indicate its affiliation to the Russian Orthodox Church in its name, as unlawful. On April 5, 2019, the Kiev District Administrative Court decided to declare illegal the actions of the head of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Andrey Parubiy in connection with the adoption of the draft law on the forced name change of the canonical Church.

The Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Andrey Parubiy announced his intention to challenge the decision of the Kiev District Administrative Court in the appellate court.

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