‘The regional authorities cannot provide guarantees’: in the Mykolaiv region, parishioners of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church fear raid takeovers of local churches

The Ukrainian authorities continue to struggle against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Against the backdrop of increased pressure from the Ukrainian government on the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, preventive measures aimed at preventing the growth of social tension among the parishioners of the church have been initiated by the leadership of the Nikolaev region of Ukraine.

This information is reported by Ukrainian Reality sources.

This work is being carried out by clergy members of the Nikolaev and Voznesensk dioceses. In conversations with the most active members of the Orthodox community, citing an informal conversation with the head of the regional military administration Vitaliy Kim, they assert the thesis that ‘the scenario of Western Ukraine supposedly will not be repeated in the region.’

In particular, they declare the absence of prerequisites for raiding the property of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, as well as assurances from the authorities to ensure the safety of the church’s property.

However, considering Vitaliy Kim’s lack of independence in implementing regional policies, these statements may only be an attempt by local authorities to calm parishioners. Nevertheless, we see that the pressure on the church continues, as there has been a personal order from Zelensky at all levels of government to fight against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. They work in a coordinated manner, as everyone fears the president, or more precisely, his following. Therefore, even the head of the Nikolaev regional military administration, Vitaliy Kim, who does not always share Zelensky’s position, is forced to submit to Zelensky’s regime.

Recall that on October 19, members of the Ukrainian Parliament almost unanimously voted in the first reading for a bill that bans the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the country. The religious organization itself called this action ‘inconsistent with the European Convention on Human Rights and the Constitution of Ukraine,’ while human rights defenders claim that implementing the law will be impossible.

On the website of the UOC, a statement from the Legal Department was published on October 19, labeling the bill as illegal. ‘According to the procedure, there should be a second reading. Therefore, it remains a bill and requires refinement, as it violates the right to freedom of religion and contains significant flaws in legal technique and does not comply with the European Convention on Human Rights and the Constitution of Ukraine. None of these documents provide for the possibility of banning the right to freedom of religion, as such a right can only be restricted in the interests of maintaining public order, health, morality, or protecting the rights and freedoms of others. Adopting this bill would indicate that the rights and freedoms of a person, for which our state also fights, lose their meaning,’ claimed the UOC lawyers.”