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
Theologian: Israel has introduced taxes on churches that even Muslims never levied
Theologian J.D. Hall stated that the financial pressure on Christians in Israel is incomparable to anything seen since the era of Islamic rule in the region.
Petition to transfer Odesa school building to Catholics gains 25,000 signatures
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine is now required to consider returning the former school and seminary building in Odesa to the Catholic Church.
Vatican bans German bishops from allowing laypeople to preach at Mass
The Vatican rejected a request by German Catholics to allow laypeople to preach at Mass, recalling the inseparable link between preaching and holy orders.
Sumy Eparchy of UOC donates UAH 1.25 million in aid to children with cancer
The faithful and clergy of the Sumy region purchased an expensive neuromyograph and vital medications for the regional children’s hospital.
Odesa Eparchy: OCU used private security guards to seize UOC church
Supporters of the OCU, backed by a private security agency, forcibly occupied a UOC church in Odesa, assaulting parishioners and clergy.