Danilov explains why NSDC tackled the Church after the start of war with RF

NSDC Secretary O. Danilov. Photo: Ukrayinska Pravda

Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov said that after the start of a full-scale war with Russia, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church "crossed the border". He told Ukrayinska Pravda about this, answering the question why no sanctions were applied to the hierarchs of the UOC until February 24. According to the official, this would happen if there were “a crossing of the permissible border, but so far this has not happened.”

“As for the situation related to the Church, keep in mind that this is a very difficult issue,” the NSDC secretary explained to the journalist. “When they (representatives of the UOC – Ed.) crossed the border after the war, when some of them actually supported this war, did not condemn this war, you know that the decisions were made instantly, so you should not blame us for not doing anything there. <...> The National Security and Defense Council looked into this issue and proved with relevant documents everyone’s relations and affiliations.”

As the UOJ reported, the Council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which took place on May 27, 2022 in Feofania, considered the issues of church life that arose due to the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. The Council condemned the war as a violation of God's commandment "Thou shalt not kill!" (Ex. 20:13) and expressed condolences to all those who suffered in the war.

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