Government adopts amendments to Chaplaincy Law
Chaplain. Photo: UOJ
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has approved changes to the Regulations on the Procedure for Issuing a Mandate for the Right to Carry Out Military Chaplaincy Activities, reports Taras Melnychuk, the Permanent Representative of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine to the Verkhovna Rada.
According to Melnychuk, the regulation "On Amendments to Some Laws of Ukraine Regarding Ensuring the Rights of Servicemen and Policemen to Social Protection" has been adopted.
Now, the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience has grounds to refuse chaplaincy mandates to a religious organization that is recognized as part of a religious organization whose governing center is located in a state recognized as having committed armed aggression against Ukraine and/or temporarily occupied part of the territory of Ukraine.
As the UOJ reported, in August 2023, the most mandates were issued to the OCU – 494. Of these, only 97 people, or 20%, are in the army. A similar situation exists with the UGCC. Out of 91 mandates, only 25 individuals serve as chaplains in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. At the same time, priests of the UOC are not allowed to serve as chaplains on the front lines, while those from the OCU and UGCC are not willing to.
Read also
Georgian Church Synod to present three candidates for Patriarchal throne
Georgian hierarchs will select candidates for the Patriarchal throne, after which the Extended Council will make the final decision.
Metropolitan Tychikos' lawyers respond to media accusations
The hierarch's lawyers called the television stories targeted harassment.
EU Court: Hungary's law protecting children from LGBT violates legislation
The European Court ruled that Hungary's ban on promoting LGBT ideology among minors contradicts "EU values".
Facts of persecution against UOC included in world's human rights report
The Amnesty International report points to pressure on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and criticism from UN experts.
Pasika activist urges believers to join Uniates if they don't want to go to OCU
Choknadiy called on UOC believers to join the Greek Catholic Church, since they refuse to join the OCU.
OCU “priest” urges SBU to punish local community head for backing UOC faithful
Volodymyr Pedko was outraged that a fallen serviceman was buried by a cleric of the canonical Church and promised to “sort things out” with the local authorities after the holidays.