Drabinko: The implementation of law on UOC ban to cause division in society

Oleksandr Drabinko. Photo: a screenshot from the Viche YouTube channel

"Metropolitan of Pereyaslav and Vishneve" of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine Oleksandr Drabinko stated in an interview with the Viche YouTube channel that the implementation of Ukraine's Law No. 3894 on the protection of the constitutional order in the sphere of religious organizations' activities could lead to an increase in division in Ukrainian society.

"As for the question of whether this will bring division into Ukrainian society, – yes, of course, to a certain extent it will," noted the metropolitan in the interview.

According to Drabinko, legal proceedings against the parishes of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church may drag on for years, and their number could reach 12–15 thousand instead of the stated 6 thousand. He emphasized that there will be "underground resistance" to the adoption of positive decisions regarding the prohibition of the UOC religious organizations.

The hierarch also expressed confusion regarding the practical application of the law: "I do not understand, will this be the removal of the legal entity from registration? Is this the closure of a church? Or a ban on the community gathering to fulfill their religious needs?"

The metropolitan emphasized that the state should «establish a constructive dialogue in search of unity and resolution of this issue from both sides» rather than taking categorical measures. In his opinion, in the nine months provided for the resolution of legal and canonical issues, negotiations between the heads of the UOC and the OCU should have been organized.

"We will have a hidden center of discontent with the state's policy, as they will consider themselves persecuted. And this will by no means lead to constructive dialogue in the future," concluded Metropolitan Drabinko.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that, according to political expert Bondarenko, the new wave of pressure on the UOC will provoke a negative reaction from the USA.

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