On March 7, 2024, a regular meeting of the synod of the OCU was held. This was reported by the website Pomisna.info.

The first issue considered by the synod was the report of Epifaniy Dumenko “on numerous violations of the right to freedom of conscience” in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. On this occasion, the text of a “public Statement” was approved.

It states that the “synod” of the OCU “supports the decision of the Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine regarding the submission for final approval by the Ukrainian parliament of the government bill No. 8371, adopted in the first reading, on the prohibition of subordination of any Ukrainian religious organizations to Russian religious, and de facto – state centers.”

“This government bill in no way restricts the right to religious freedom or hinders the activities of religious communities, but protects religious freedom in Ukraine from Russian hostile state influence and from using religious structures of the aggressor country as instruments of such influence. This position has also been repeatedly publicly supported by the religious community of Ukraine – Christian, Muslim and Jewish religious associations,” the statement said.

Synod of the OCU urged the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine “as soon as possible to adopt the bill № 8371 in the second reading and as a whole, and the President of Ukraine – to sign it”.

We shall remind you that earlier we wrote that the head of the committee on humanitarian and information policy, MP from the pro-presidential party Nikita Poturaev said that the bill No. 8371, aimed at banning the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, may be voted in the second reading at the end of March.