Zelensky thanks UCCRO members for Ukraine's "advocacy" abroad
Zelensky's meeting with UCCRO members. Photo: Presidential Office website
On December 23, 2024, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with members of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (UCCRO) at the Kyiv Sophia Cathedral complex. He extended his greetings for Hanukkah and Christmas, according to the Presidential Office website.
The President emphasized that the "role of UCCRO is important for Ukraine's advocacy in the world." He stated, "After all, the Russian Federation is trying to use its church to influence the views of Ukrainians who have gone abroad because of the war," without specifying which Church he was referring to.
In response, the head of the OCU, Epifaniy Dumenko, assured Zelensky that UCCRO members are "convey the truth about Ukraine abroad and fight Russian propaganda." He also expressed gratitude to the President for the adoption of the law banning the UOC, referring to it as the "law on the protection of spiritual independence."
"Unfortunately, the enemy is quite active in the informational space and is particularly attempting abroad to sow discord and spread falsehoods about Ukraine, our people, and the state of affairs in our country, misleading the international community. Therefore, bearing witness to the truth abroad must also become one of our priorities," Dumenko said.
The head of the UGCC, Sviatoslav Shevchuk, expressed gratitude to Zelensky on behalf of the attendees for mentioning UCCRO in the President's Internal Resilience Plan. He also highlighted that members of the Council of Churches "have learned to work together for the common good, rejecting narrow corporate interests in favor of national priorities."
"We are all different, from different confessions, even different religions, but we have learned to work together for the common good. This partnership is the key to victory," the head of the UGCC assured.
The meeting was facilitated by the State Ethnopolitics Service, led by Viktor Yelensky.
Earlier, UOJ reported that Zelensky stated Ukrainian believers have high hopes for Trump.
Read also
Ukraine must have its own faith: Poroshenko's party lays out peace terms
Poroshenko’s party European Solidarity described church policy as a matter of national sovereignty and said there can be no compromises in this area.
432 UOC churches damaged in Ukraine during war, report says
According to the Religion on Fire project, 807 religious buildings in Ukraine have been damaged or destroyed as a result of hostilities.
DESS official gives number of clergy exempt from mobilization in Ukraine
A DESS representative said the actual number of clergy exempt from mobilization is significantly lower than the number of religious organizations designated as critical.
Cabinet keeps gas prices unchanged for religious organizations
The Cabinet has fixed gas prices for religious organizations through the end of the 2026–2027 heating season.
Concert held at seized Cherkasy cathedral
The OCU thanked the musical ensemble for choosing the Cherkasy cathedral as the venue for a Baroque music concert.
OCU activist admits breaking into UOC church in Sloviansk
Oleksandr Onyshchenko said that the OCU held its first "service" at the Seraphim Church, which had previously been broken into by forcing the locks and doors.