Text of 'EU' bill to ban ROC in Ukraine published on Verkhovna Rada website

A bill banning the ROC in Ukraine published on the Verkhovna Rada website. Photo: Ukrinform

The bill by "European solidarity" MPs, the adoption of which, according to its authors, "establishes a ban on the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church on the territory of Ukraine", has been published on the Verkhovna Rada website.

It is noteworthy that the text of the draft law does not mention anywhere that the UOC is banned. In the opinion of the MPs, there should be banned the religious organizations (associations) which directly or as components of another religious organization (associations) are part of the Russian Orthodox Church, and also the religious governing centres which recognize subordination of the Russian Orthodox Church in any issues.

"A religious organization cannot have a governing centre (administration) outside the borders of Ukraine in a state which is recognized by law to have carried out military aggression against Ukraine and/or temporarily occupied part of the territory of Ukraine, as well as being part of the structure (is part of) a foreign religious organization whose activity is banned in Ukraine," the document says.

Also, the authors of the bill say that the document allows a religious organization to use the word "Orthodox" in its name only if the organization is subordinate to the OCU on canonical and organizational issues.

As reported, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine registered the bill banning the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church on the territory of Ukraine.

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