German theologian: Kyiv must recognize the principle of freedom of religion

Professor Tomas Bremer. Photo: ethos.org.ua

Professor Tomas Bremer. Photo: ethos.org.ua

As long as Ukraine wants to get closer to Europe, the Kyiv establishment must recognize the principles related to human rights and freedom of religion. The well-known Catholic theologian Professor Tomas Bremer, who taught at the University of Münster for decades, stated this in a dw.com comment.

"According to our Western ideas, freedom of religion means that the state does not interfere in the internal affairs of churches," the theologian said.

According to him, the actions of the Ukrainian authorities against the UOC are "on the verge of violating the principle of freedom of religion."

As the UOJ reported, in early 2023, the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung published an article by Tomas Bremer and his colleague Regina Elsner entitled "Religious intolerance in Ukraine?" The authors spoke about the persecution of the UOC and stated that the religious policy of the Ukrainian authorities "must be urgently corrected."

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