Iryna Herashchenko: We hope Bill 8371 will boost UOC parishes to join OCU
Petro Poroshenko with his fellow party members. Photo: Iryna Herashchenko's Instagram
Member of Parliament from Petro Poroshenko's party, Iryna Herashchenko, expressed hope that Bill 8371 will accelerate the "transition" of communities to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU).
She believes that the adoption of Bill 8371 is a "historic vote" as the Verkhovna Rada "passed a bill that bans the branch of the aggressor country in Ukraine."
According to her, "this is a matter of national security, not religion," and Poroshenko's party "did everything possible and impossible to ensure that this decision was made."
"We registered the relevant bills, defended amendments, blocked the podium, negotiated with deputies from other factions, persuaded, and fought," Herashchenko wrote.
She thanked the MPs who voted for this bill, noting that "a significant part of our work, the 'European Solidarity' team's work, contributed to the overall victory."
"We hope today's decision will boost the transition of parishes to the OCU – the only local canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church. I am proud that this process began with the granting of the Tomos to Ukraine by President Petro Poroshenko in the winter of 2019!" Herashchenko concluded.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that the Rada passed Bill 8371 banning the UOC.
Read also
Serbian Patriarch offers condolences over murder of Sviatohirsk Lavra monk
The head of the Serbian Orthodox Church called Sviatohirsk Lavra a refuge for the displaced and urged that the monk’s violent death not be turned into anyone’s weapon.
“Never seen before”: Israel reports record number of Hasidim in Uman
According to an Israeli police representative, 52,000 pilgrims are currently in Uman – 10,000 more than last year. The city itself has a population of about 75,000.
UOC faithful hold prayer vigil outside Lavra for more than 1,000 days
For three and a half years, Orthodox Christians have continued praying for peace and for the preservation of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.
Zelensky congratulates Jews on Rosh Hashanah
Volodymyr Zelensky wished Jews peace and the triumph of good over evil.
Kyiv Theological Academy publishes book on Orthodoxy in 17th-century Ukraine
With the blessing of the UOC Primate, the Kyiv Theological Academy and Seminary has published a textbook marking the 430th anniversary of the birth of St. Petro Mohyla.