Shevchuk to the World Council of Churches: The Law Banning the UOC Is Not Against the UOC

The head of the UGCC, Sviatoslav Shevchuk, justified before a delegation of the World Council of Churches (WCC) the law on the protection of religious organizations from the influence of the aggressor state.

Shevchuk stated that the norms, effectively directed against the UOC, allegedly have a "universal" character and apply to all denominations without exception. In his view, the document is aimed exclusively against "the instrumentalization of the Church and the turning of religion into a weapon."

Shevchuk assured the foreign guests that Ukraine remains a state in which freedom of conscience is guaranteed, and that the new legislative initiatives are dictated solely by the needs of national security.

"Rest assured: the state law on the protection of Churches and religious organizations from encroachments by the aggressor state is not directed against any one specific Church, but, in accordance with the principle of universality of all civil legislation, applies to all of us without exception," said the head of the UGCC.

According to Shevchuk, the interaction of Churches with the state is based on the principles of equality of all religious organizations before the law and the right of the authorities to protect national security. The head of the Uniates stated that the Churches cooperate with the state for the common good under the alleged non-interference of the state in the internal affairs of religious organizations.

As the UOJ reported, the World Council of Churches expressed concern over the law threatening a ban on the UOC.

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