The vote on the bill took place just after 12:00 Ukrainian time (11:00 in Poland – ed.). The bill was approved 265 members of parliament voted to restrict the activities of the Russian Orthodox Churchonly 29 deputies were against.
The law will enter into force 30 days after its publication. However, this does not mean that the communities of the Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate will cease to operate from one day to the next. The law states that parishes will have nine months to “sever ties” with the Russian Federation and the transition to the autocephalous Kiev Orthodox Church.
“Historic vote in the Verkhovna Rada (…) Finally, the CPPM from the aggressor state regime will be banned, and also Ukrainian religious organizations are prohibited from contacting her! I am waiting for the president to sign it. I thank Volodymyr Zelensky for his leadership and clear position to achieve spiritual independence of Ukraine. I thank all colleagues who worked on the legislation and voted,” wrote Yevgenia Kravchuk, deputy head of the Servant of the People party.
War in Ukraine. The Russian Orthodox Church will be banned
The decision of Ukrainian parliamentarians was commented on by, among others: Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak. The official did not hide his joy at the passing of the regulations that will allow for the delegalization of the Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.
Earlier on his social media, Jermak stressed the need to introduce regulations due to internal security in the country.
“Since Soviet times the Church in Russia and for Russia it is the territory and ears of their secret services. Today, Russia is a country that destroys churches in Ukraine. For them, there is no God, no faith. It is a screen for murder and violence,” he said.
The ban on the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine has been a subject of political discussion since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. During the conflict Church clergy were detained by the Security Service of Ukraine for cooperating with the Russian Federation including providing information regarding the stationing of Ukrainian units.
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