Communities are not joining OCU because it lacks priests, says MP

MP Mykola Kniazhytskyi. Photo: Kniazhytskyi’s Facebook

Ukrainian MP Mykola Kniazhytskyi has stated that the OCU is "institutionally unprepared" to accommodate a large influx of parishes. Speaking on the program Algorithms of Lies, the co-author of the law banning religious organizations linked to Russia acknowledged that parish transfers from the UOC to the structure headed by Epifaniy Dumenko are taking place much more slowly than originally anticipated.

According to the politician, one of the main obstacles is the OCU’s internal impotence to expand by absorbing new parishes.

“They do not have enough priests, and many other issues are involved,” Kniazhytskyi explained. “It is not that they do not want this, but they lack resources, and the state does not care much about it.”

The parliamentarian also noted that Ukrainian courts are delaying proceedings in cases related to the religious sphere because they do not receive a “clear political signal.” According to him, state authorities and the OCU are doing “far too little work” with UOC clergy to guarantee them security and prospects should they decide to transfer.

As the UOJ previously reported, representatives of the OCU have complained about a personnel shortage.

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