By N.Ugoh
As Ukraine’s war with Russia continues, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, led by His Beatitude Sviatoslav, has endorsed a new law passed by the Ukrainian Parliament aimed at restricting the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church within the country. The law is seen as a critical measure to protect Ukraine’s religious freedom from Russian propaganda and the Kremlin’s attempts to weaponize religion in the conflict.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav has been outspoken in condemning Russia’s use of religion as a tool of war, accusing the Kremlin of distorting the Christian message to further its ideological goals. The new legislation, according to Sviatoslav, is essential to maintaining religious harmony in Ukraine and preventing external interference in the country’s diverse religious communities.
The law has drawn sharp criticism from the Russian Orthodox Patriarchate, which has accused Ukraine of targeting the Ukrainian Orthodox Church that remains in communion with Moscow. Despite this, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church remains committed to safeguarding religious freedom and supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty.
