DESS on mobilization exemptions for priests: UOC will face problems
Vyacheslav Horshkov. Photo: Religion in Ukraine
The head of the Department for Religious Affairs of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience (DESS), Vyacheslav Horshkov, explained that with the introduction of a new regulation on reserving clergy from mobilization, the UOC may face issues securing deferrals, reports Religion in Ukraine.
Horshkov pointed out that the complications stem from technical issues linked to the requirements of Ukrainian Law No. 2662-VIII of December 20, 2018. This law mandates clarification of the names of churches whose governing centers are located in an aggressor country. According to this law, the UOC's charters have lost validity regarding their name.
The DESS official noted that due to this, the service cannot identify such religious organizations, leaving them significantly restricted in their operations. For example, they cannot update the Unified State Register of Enterprises and Organizations of Ukraine (EDRPOU) to reflect leadership changes.
"The UOC faces a purely legal dilemma here: normalizing its legal identity to submit lists of priests for mobilization exemption is only possible by complying with Law No. 2662-VIII, which automatically implies recognizing its affiliation with the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC). The only way out of this deadlock is to complete all necessary procedures and sever ties with the ROC. Otherwise, the UOC risks losing registered communities and the ability to secure mobilization exemptions for its priests," the publication stated.
Horshkov emphasized that the only solution for the UOC is to complete the required procedures and genuinely break ties with the Russian Orthodox Church.
As the UOJ reported earlier, MP Dubinsky stated that only UOC clergy who transfer to the OCU would be granted mobilization deferrals.
🕊 Become part of our mission – support the freedom of Orthodox faith! 🕊
💳 Card number:
4441 1111 2797 9692
🔗 Donation link:
https://send.monobank.ua/jar/9ssSneNxE9
Read also
In Lavra Reserve, 75% of budgetary funds spent on salaries
In the Reserve, 184 million was spent on salaries out of the allocated 248 million budget funds.
Ministry of Culture: 21 objects of Kyiv-Pechersk Reserve in disrepair
The Ministry of Culture commission found a number of violations regarding the preservation of historical and architectural cultural heritage, discovering, for example, that the roof in the Florian library is leaking.
In Bila Tserkva, Sts. Peter and Paul's Church of UOC seized
Raiders cut the locks on the church early in the morning, right after the curfew ended.
Appeals court upholds transfer of St. Nicholas Church in Kyiv to RCC community
A court has brought to a close a twenty-year legal battle to return the historic church to the Catholic community.
Genetic “optimization” of embryos launched in the U.S.
Parents undergoing IVF are now being offered the option to select embryos based on preferred traits such as gender, height, eye and hair color. The remaining embryos will be discarded.
“Thank God for everything”: Vasyl Lomachenko announces retirement from boxing
In a special video message, he thanked God, his family, and everyone who had accompanied him on his journey in professional sports.