Former cleric of the Russian Orthodox Church Kirill Hovorun, who was deprived of his dignity, has said that the Ukrainian government cannot ban the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Hovorun believes that banning the UOC is a violation of fundamental rights and freedoms. He said in an interview with the Spanish publication Catalunya Religió.

“The government is trying to find a balance between national security and religious freedom, which is a core European value. At first there was a proposal to ban the Moscow Patriarchate in Ukraine, but it was realized that this was impossible for several reasons. First, it would be a violation of fundamental rights. Second, churches in Ukraine are not legal entities; each community is a separate legal entity, and it would be very difficult to ban them all. Thirdly, the Moscow Patriarchate in Ukraine is not a unique structure; there is a large fragmentation within the Church,” – said Govorun.

Recall, earlier we reported that on June 4, 2024, the Assistant Secretary of State of the United States in 2017-2021 Robert Destro, who is one of the key members of the team of the presidential candidate of the United States Donald Trump, took part in a hearing in the US Congress. The politician drew attention to the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, calling the tolerance and silence of these facts in Washington an “abomination”.