Religious scholar on the UOC: We are starting the countdown

Oleksandr Sagan. Photo: Dossier

Religious scholar Oleksandr Sagan commented to Radio Culture on the new Ukrainian law "On the Protection of the Constitutional Order in the Sphere of Religious Organisations", stressing that this law de facto terminates state support for religious organisations associated with the Moscow Patriarchate.

Sagan noted: "The current law states that you can exist, but the state will not support or register you. If you have a place to pray, you may pray, but all privileges related to legal status will not be provided by the state."

According to the scholar, the introduction of the law symbolises the beginning of a "countdown", where the state expects changes to come from the believers themselves. He also pointed out the demographic situation in Ukraine's religious sphere, emphasizing that support for the Moscow Patriarchate in Ukraine is minimal. "Today, only 6% of the Ukrainian population, or 9% of Orthodox Christians, identify with the Moscow Patriarchate," he said, adding that "42% of the Ukrainian population, or 70% of Orthodox Christians, identify with the OCU, meaning they are connected to the Ukrainian Church not just in name but in essence."

Sagan also believes that "there are not many people who will categorically and fundamentally stand with the Moscow Patriarchate. They should be left alone. According to sociologists, they make up 4-6%," he concluded.

As reported by the UOJ, Oleksandr Sagan stated that Law 8371, which aims to ban the activities of the UOC, does not involve the forcible closure of churches. However, religious communities renting municipal property will face certain challenges.

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