Ukraine to Ban Moscow Patriarchate Orthodox Church in Nine Months Over Russian Ties

Aug 18, 2024, 08:28 AM

The Ukrainian government is moving to sever religious ties with Russia by banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate due to its connections with the Russian Orthodox Church and support for Russian aggression. According to Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk, religious organizations in Ukraine will have nine months to cut ties with Russia. The All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations has backed a draft law to ban the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The Head Rabbi of the United Jewish Communities of Ukraine, Jacob Dov Bleich, has expressed support for the ban.