SBU: Transitions of UOC communities to OCU threaten national security

The Security Service of Ukraine stated that the transitions of communities from the UOC to the OCU, which are initiated by the authorities, threaten the national security of the country. This was reported by lb.ua with reference to a letter from the Deputy Head of the Main Directorate of the SBU in Kyiv and the Kyiv region Yuriy Palahniuk dated September 7 to the Darnytsia District State Administration.

The Main Directorate of the SBU of the Kyiv region appealed to representatives of local self-government with an insistent request to carry out sensitization among the public on preventing the participation of leaders of territorial communities or representatives of local authorities in the meeting of religious communities to transfer from the UOC to the OCU.

According to the SBU, the initiative of the authorities to "transfer" the communities "creates prerequisites for destabilizing the socio-political situation in Kyiv and the region."

The SBU said that the so-called transitions are mostly accompanied by accusations of the illegality of the actions of a particular religious denomination, representatives of the united territorial communities and state authorities, which in turn leads to physical clashes.

The letter also notes that such meetings, which are organized by the authorities with a view to changing the jurisdiction of the community, can be used by representatives of the UOC to challenge unlawful actions in court. At the same time, special services of the Russian Federation can use it “for accusations of harassment of the UOC, inciting interfaith hatred and using the protest potential to destabilize the socio-political situation in state."

As the UOJ reported, Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary appealed to Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the seizure of churches in his diocese.

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