The head of the Legal Department of the UOC, Archpriest Alexander Bakhov, commented on the latest publication in the media of the words of the head of the Ministry for the Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories Alexei Reznikov, who said that UOC should be forced to change its name. This is reported by the Information Department of the UOC.

According to the bill of the Ministry for the Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories “On the State Policy of the Transition Period,” the Ukrainian Orthodox Church will have to formalize in official documents what is a subsidiary of the Russian Orthodox Church.

In an interview with the publication, Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said: “If you do not recognize the Ukrainian jurisdiction, then you will need to indicate who is your immediate supervisor.”

The chairman of the Legal Department of the UOC noted that this approach to church life is false.

“Some think in terms of business and apply the model of business societies to church relations,” he said.

Archpriest Alexander noted that “the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is not a subsidiary company or branch and does not have economic or financial and administrative relations with the Russian Orthodox Church.”

“Religious organizations of the UOC are registered in accordance with the legislation of Ukraine. The founder of the UOC is the Council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, that is, bishops, priests and laity living in Ukraine. Its governing bodies are found in Kiev, and we have Christ as the head,” the lawyer reminded the politician and journalists.