Four Days to Decision: What Awaits the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate Before the Court Banning Process
The future status of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC MP) is increasingly under scrutiny as an important court case regarding its potential ban approaches.
By August 24, the church is required to comply with the directives issued by the State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience to sever ties with the Russian Orthodox Church.
Failure to do so could lead to the church being officially recognized as affiliated with the ROC, and a lawsuit to cease its activities filed in court.
This was announced by Viktor Yelensky, the head of the State Service, during a televised marathon, who noted that Kyiv’s metropolitanate has yet to send an official letter to the service, but the church’s official website states that they have no intention to comply with the state’s demands.
Such stance raises concerns among government officials, considering the legal obligations and potential escalation.
Yelensky expressed hope that a significant portion of clergy and believers understand and support the importance of law compliance and recognize the dangers of remaining passive.
Following these developments, the next step will be a court petition aimed at the complete suspension of the Kyiv metropolitanate, viewed as a lawful response to the refusal to obey.
Yelensky emphasized that the legal proceedings against UOC MP are likely to be concluded sooner than the church anticipates.
Recall that at the beginning of July, the State Service identified signs of affiliation between UOC MP and the Russian Orthodox Church, and found a lack of independence of the Kyiv metropolitanate, all of which serve as grounds for legal actions under laws banning pro-Russian religious organizations in Ukraine.
If the church fails to meet the deadline, the next step will be a court suit for its shutdown.
These events raise questions about the policy consistency of Ukrainian authorities, whether the church has severed ties with the aggressor country or is merely delaying.
More details are available in Katrine Shkotkina’s articles, “Spiritual Independence: About the Russian Church Ban and ‘religious agents in robes’” and “UOC MP Awaiting the End—War or Its Own Survival” on ZN.UA.