DESS: The UOC threatens Ukraine's national security
Viktor Voynalovych. Photo: DESS
Viktor Voynalovych, an official of the State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience , spoke about the destructive role of religious organizations in Ukraine that are controlled by Russia – apparently referring to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), according to the DESS website.
"Unfortunately, the Russian Orthodox Church has become part of the ideological apparatus of Russian aggression. We are forced to regard its activities in Ukraine as an element of hybrid warfare that threatens national security," said Voynalovych.
He also emphasized the importance of the recently adopted law "On Protecting the Constitutional Order in the Sphere of Religious Organizations' Activities," which, according to him, is not directed against religion but serves the interests of the state.
“This law does not discriminate against religion; it is merely aimed at protecting our sovereignty. Religion in Ukraine will always remain a source of unity, not a tool of division,” he stated.
As previously reported by the UOJ, DESS explained when the law banning the UOC would come into effect.
Read also
Serbian Patriarch offers condolences over murder of Sviatohirsk Lavra monk
The head of the Serbian Orthodox Church called Sviatohirsk Lavra a refuge for the displaced and urged that the monk’s violent death not be turned into anyone’s weapon.
“Never seen before”: Israel reports record number of Hasidim in Uman
According to an Israeli police representative, 52,000 pilgrims are currently in Uman – 10,000 more than last year. The city itself has a population of about 75,000.
UOC faithful hold prayer vigil outside Lavra for more than 1,000 days
For three and a half years, Orthodox Christians have continued praying for peace and for the preservation of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.
Zelensky congratulates Jews on Rosh Hashanah
Volodymyr Zelensky wished Jews peace and the triumph of good over evil.
Kyiv Theological Academy publishes book on Orthodoxy in 17th-century Ukraine
With the blessing of the UOC Primate, the Kyiv Theological Academy and Seminary has published a textbook marking the 430th anniversary of the birth of St. Petro Mohyla.