The final adoption of the law on banning “religious organizations affiliated with the Russian Federation” in Ukraine will encourage believers and clergy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to take action and take responsibility, as their communities will not be able to exist in their previous status. This was stated by the “metropolitan” of the OCU, Yevstratiy Zorya, in an interview with Radio NV.

According to him, quite a few people remain in the UOC environment in the hope that somehow the problem will be solved without them doing anything themselves.

“How they have been waiting until now, hoping that nothing will be done, everyone will be blind, deaf and dumb and will not react in any way to that pro-Russian activity, which the leadership headed by Metropolitan Onufry actually covers up, tolerating all traitors, all collaborators and the like. None of them have suffered canonical ecclesiastical penalties for their criminal activities, which contradict, in particular, the norms of Church law. At the same time, as those who unite with the Ukrainian church, get immediately and some bans, punishments, etc.”, – Zorya said.

He added that “it is extremely important that the faithful clergy themselves, who are still in the Moscow Patriarchate, understand their own responsibility. So that they do not expect someone somewhere upstairs – Metropolitan Onuphrius, or his Synod, or their bishops – to decide something, and they will not be responsible for making decisions. Under Ukrainian law, a religious community has the right to leave the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate. And their canonical obligation is to join the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.”