Ministry of Culture tries to put pressure on the Church, – political expert

This is not a prerogative of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine to demand certain actions from the priests. It was the comments of Director of the Ukrainian Politics Fund Kost Bondarenko to the UOJ on the official statement of the Ministry of Culture, published on the Ministry’s official site. It contains an urge to the UOC administration to recognize aggression of the Russian Federation towards Ukraine and condemn “separatist moods” of some clergymen.”

“By this statement the Ministry of Culture demonstrates it is not doing what it is supposed to; moreover, under the Constitution the Church is separated from the state. This is the first point. The second is that it is the right of each citizen of Ukraine to recognize whatever aggression toward their state. The third point is that the Ministry of Culture should address cultural, rather than religious, issues.”

The statement of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine also contains an urge to the law enforcement authorities “to give a legal evaluation of anti-Ukrainian actions and rhetoric of some representatives of the clergy and top hierarchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.”