World Council of Churches expresses concern over repression of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate in Kyiv
"It is regrettable that such actions – including those against the monastic community of the former Dormition Cathedral of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra of the IOU – appear to target the church itself," said the WCC.
247 - The general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Jerry Pillay, questioned on Friday (17) the Ukrainian government's respect for freedom of belief after Kiev ordered the expulsion of monks from the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.
On March 10, the Kyiv-Pechersk National Historical and Cultural Reserve in Ukraine ordered the monks living in the monastery to leave the premises by March 29, after a Ukrainian interdepartmental commission accused the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (IOU) of the Moscow Patriarchate of violating the terms of an agreement on the use of state property. The Ukrainian Minister of Culture, Oleksandr Tkachenko, said the monks could remain in the Lavra if they joined the schismatic Ukrainian Orthodox Church, a decision which, he pointed out, could be "encouraged through the joint work of experts and law enforcement agents."
"It is regrettable that such actions – including those against the monastic community of the former Dormition Cathedral Kiev-Pechersk Lavra of the IOU – appear to target the church itself. The actions being taken against the IOU seem to raise genuine questions regarding respect for freedom of religion or belief," Pillay said in a statement.
The statement came after Pope Francis called for "respect" for religious sites in Ukraine.
The WCC will continue to monitor the situation and respond to its development in accordance with international principles for the protection of human rights and freedom of religion, Pillay added.
The Russian Orthodox Church claims that the IOU is an "autonomous church with broad rights of autonomy" within the Moscow Patriarchate. However, following the military operation that Russia launched in Ukraine a year ago, the IOU stated that it was independent of the Moscow Patriarchate and did not support the conflict. In January, the Ukrainian government submitted a bill to parliament seeking to ban the UOC in Ukraine if its connection to Russia is proven. (With Sputnik)