OCU lawyer: No need to go to church to be a member of church community

"OCU lawyer" Ihor Hryshachev. Photo: Dozor_kozak1

At the self-proclaimed "transition meeting to the OCU" in Makariv, a certain Ihor Hryshachev, presenting himself as a "lawyer of the OCU community", told the believers of the UOC that it is not obligatory to attend church to consider oneself a member of the church community. The video of the discussion was posted by Dozor_kozak1 ("Watch on the First Cossack").

Speaking in refined Russian, Hryshachev claimed that people living in the village near Makariv cannot be members of the religious community.

"Unless it is affiliated to the Makariv community, then they cannot be considered (members of the religious community)," Hryshachev said.

When asked if a person living in the city, who has never been to church, can be considered a member of the religious community, Hryshachev answered affirmatively.

"Faith is not about going to church, it is not obligatory to attend church. Being a member of the religious community does not mean going to church. Maybe they will come to church tomorrow. A person the right to make a decision today," said the "lawyer of the OCU".

In his opinion, only the "local community" has the right to participate in the assembly of the religious community (meaning territorial), that is, only those who are registered in the locality where the church is located. And if parishioners from the villages near Makariv were not allowed to attend the meeting, "it means they have no relation to the community." "You don't go to presidential elections wherever you want," Hryshachev substantiated his illiterate position. "And here it is the same, it all complies with the law."

In his opinion, "anyone" is a member of the religious community, not just those who attend services and whom the priest includes in the parish lists.

Hryshachev himself, along with former deputy Serhiy Vozny, travels to villages in the Kyiv region and organizes "transitions" of churches to the OCU on behalf of the religious community. At the same time, members of the religious community (which according to the law is the only one entitled to organize such a meeting) are not allowed to these meetings.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that parishioners in Makariv were not allowed to attend the "transition meeting" to the OCU.

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