DESS: Old Believers of ROC and ROCOR monastery are crucial for Ukraine

Head of the Russian Orthodox Old-Rite Church Metropolitan Korniliy (left) and Patriarch Kirill. Photo: ruvera.ru

The State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience (DESS) included in the list of religious organizations recognized as critically important for functioning under martial law, the communities of the Russian Orthodox Old Believer Church (ROOBC) and the monastery of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) in Kyiv.

As reported by the head of the DESS Department for Religious Affairs, Vyacheslav Horshkov, the list was formed based on officially registered religious organizations as of December 26, 2024 – the day the decree allowing draft exemption (deferment from mobilization) for clergy came into force. 

Initially, the list included 30,148 organizations, but after verification, a significant portion was excluded.

According to Horshkov, all religious organizations registered in temporarily occupied territories were excluded from the list, regardless of their denominational affiliation.

The presence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church's religious structures in the list raised particular public attention. 

Vyacheslav Horshkov explained that one of the key criteria for inclusion is the absence of ties with a foreign religious organization whose activities are banned in Ukraine. 

At the same time, according to him, this criterion can only be applied after the official recognition of the fact of affiliation of a specific organization.

Another criterion was the presence of an active statute. The statutes of a significant number of UOC religious organizations were deemed invalid in terms of their official name, which became a formal basis for their exclusion from the list.

Meanwhile, the list included four religious communities of the Russian Orthodox Old Believer Church and the religious community «St. John Monastery» of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, located in the Shevchenkivskyi district of Kyiv.

It is known that the head of the Russian Old Believer Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Korniliy believes:"When a warrior defends the Motherland from encroachments on its existence – this is the most sacred feat, the accomplishment of which is the highest manifestation of patriotism." 

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that the head of the Russian Old Believer Church announced a dialogue with the ROC.

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