The Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which held a meeting on 25 September 2018 at the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra under the chairmanship of his Beatitude Metropolitan of Kyiv and all Ukraine Onuphrius, called for the abandonment of the anti-constitutional draft laws under consideration in Parliament (Journal No. 18). Reported Information-enlightenment Department of the UOC.
The Holy Synod calls on all the actors working on the implementation of draft laws # 4128 (about changing the subordination of religious communities), 4511 (on the special status of religious organizations), 5309 (for change of name of religious organizations), to abandon those legislative intent as contradicting the Constitution of Ukraine and those who are anti-Catholic.
These legislative initiatives “are aimed at the legal liquidation of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church by means of raider attacks through the name change, illegal interference in the control and seizure of property (shrines, temples and monasteries)”.
In documents on the results of the Synod notes that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is a religious Association that is registered and operates in accordance with the laws of Ukraine, and any compulsion to change its name are illegal and qualify as interference in the internal Affairs of the Church.
Also the Holy Synod warned the participants in the implementation of unconstitutional laws that their adoption will artificially divide people and make strangers in their own country, millions of citizens of Ukraine, urged to refrain from these anti-clerical initiatives.