Military Recruitment Centers discuss whether clergy will be mobilized

Tetiana Kameristova. Photo: Suspilne

Up to 50% of clergy from churches officially registered in Ukraine are expected to be exempted from mobilization under new criteria being developed by the State Service of Ukraine on Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience (DESS). This was reported by Tetiana Kameristova, press secretary of the Rivne Regional Recruitment and Social Support Center, as cited by Suspilne.

“Clergy are ordinary citizens of Ukraine who, if they are male and of eligible age – from 18 to 60 – must update their military registration data in the Reserve+ system. The decision on who will be exempted is not made by us; we are not in charge of the exemptions. This is handled by someone responsible for record-keeping. Just as we have a record-keeper, each diocese also has someone in charge of records. No more than 50% of clergy can be exempted from any given church,” Tetiana Kameristova explained.

The final criteria for exempting clergy from mobilization are still under development, and decisions will be made based on these forthcoming rules.

As previously reported by the UOJ, the head of the State Service of Ukraine on Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience indicated that exemptions would not apply to clergy of the UOC.

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