Russia’s Orthodox Church on Tuesday condemned a vote by Ukrainian lawmakers to ban the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which many believe to be aligned with Moscow.
“This is an unlawful act that is the grossest violation of the basic principles of freedom of conscience and human rights,” Russian Orthodox Church spokesman Vladimir Legoida wrote on Telegram.
On Tuesday, Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada passed a bill outlawing religious organizations with links to Russia. That ban would include the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which lawmakers accuse of maintaining links with Moscow.
Legoida said the bill creates “a legal basis for the total liquidation of the parishes of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church — the religious community that unites the majority of Ukrainians.”
Moscow Patriarchate Condemns Move to Ban Ukrainian Orthodox Church
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