Government adopts amendments to Chaplaincy Law

Chaplain. Photo: UOJ

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has approved changes to the Regulations on the Procedure for Issuing a Mandate for the Right to Carry Out Military Chaplaincy Activities, reports Taras Melnychuk, the Permanent Representative of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine to the Verkhovna Rada.

According to Melnychuk, the regulation "On Amendments to Some Laws of Ukraine Regarding Ensuring the Rights of Servicemen and Policemen to Social Protection" has been adopted.

Now, the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience has grounds to refuse chaplaincy mandates to a religious organization that is recognized as part of a religious organization whose governing center is located in a state recognized as having committed armed aggression against Ukraine and/or temporarily occupied part of the territory of Ukraine.

As the UOJ reported, in August 2023, the most mandates were issued to the OCU – 494. Of these, only 97 people, or 20%, are in the army. A similar situation exists with the UGCC. Out of 91 mandates, only 25 individuals serve as chaplains in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. At the same time, priests of the UOC are not allowed to serve as chaplains on the front lines, while those from the OCU and UGCC are not willing to.

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