“Ukrainian Orthodox Christians are taking a step today to free themselves from the demons of Moscow”: these are the words with which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky celebrated the signing, on August 24, of a law that bans the activities of “religious organizations affiliated with countries hostile to Ukraine” – meaning Russia. Coinciding with the celebrations of Independence Day, the Ukrainian national holiday celebrated every August 24, the text implicitly paves the way for the banning of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, previously known by the acronym “UPC-MP”, accused of maintaining ties with Moscow despite the conflict that has pitted the country against Russia since February 24, 2022.
Canonically subject to the Moscow Patriarchate, the ecclesiastical authorities of the UPC-MP have nevertheless officially proclaimed their total independence from Moscow following an extraordinary synod held on May 27, 2022. At the time, they cited, among other reasons, the repeated positions taken by Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, in favor of the invasion. However, the “independence” claimed during this synod does not exist in Orthodox canon law and the Moscow Patriarchate considers that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is still attached to it.
