Poturaev сonfident: UOC will not go underground after a ban

UOC community after a service in a tent. Photo: Volyn Diocese

Mykyta Poturaev, a Ukrainian MP and head of the Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy, expressed confidence that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) would not go underground if a ban were imposed. In his opinion, only a few communities are prepared to take such a step, while the majority of believers prefer the usual conditions for their religious life. Poturaev made these statements in an interview with the Telegraf publication.

“They won’t do that! Who would?! Pasha-'600' Mercedes will go underground in a garage?! Seriously?… What are we talking about, this is ridiculous!” Poturaev said, referring to UOC Metropolitan Pavel (Lebed) of Vyshhorod and Chornobyl, known for his expensive cars.

He also added that UOC communities need official status as religious organizations: “They won’t go to garages. They need a priest, a church, and the things like that. There are isolated cases where communities have moved on without priests, and the priest has stayed with the elderly women, and they serve in homes. But that’s not underground, that’s not a catacomb church. Well, they serve and let them be. But I still don’t believe in it. They need to have the status of religious organizations because without it, they don’t really exist.”

As reported by the UOJ, a UOC community in the village of Cherk in the Volyn region gathered for a festive service in a tent on the feast day of the prophet Elijah.

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